Dying for Love
by sweet16994
Summary: Bella has 6 months to live. She decides to break out of her shell and meets Edward, someone who lives for eternity. When he tries to discover her secret, he falls in love during the process. Why won't she become a vampire for him? ExB vampires included!
1. Watch Out World Here I Come

**I don't feel the need to introduce all the characters because if your reading this, then you more than likely know who everyone is. **

**oh and to be obnoxious: TWILIGHT CAME OUT TODAY!! IM SEEING IT IN 2: 36 MINUTESSS!!**

Chapter 1: Watch Out world, here I come

"I'm so sorry Ms. Swan, but it seems as if you have a form of deadly cancer. It's too late. And there doesn't seem to be a way to…to save you. You have approximately… 6 months to live. I'm sorry. I'll give you a minute alone." The doctor said before leaving.

My mom burst into tears. I just sat there, stunned. I was…I was…dying? Truly dying? At the young, fruitful age of 16? I couldn't cry. I wanted to. I wanted to cry for my loss. My loss of my life.

But all I could feel was anger. Not at the doctor. He was just doing his job. But at myself. I was always so restrained. 'I can't go. I'm sorry I have homework.' Or 'no thanks, I'll just sit here and watch you make a fool of yourself and have fun because I'm too scared.'

I was disappointed with my life. I needed to make it better. But could I? I had 6 months to live. 6. That was…180 days. Half a year.

I wanted to be crazy. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to go sky diving, ride a motorcycle, and do something else life threatening. Not like it mattered. I was dying. I was going to die.

My mom just stared at me, crying, with her gloved hand over her mouth. Yea, we were rich. So we could afford to move. We could afford to buy me a motorcycle. And we could afford to find something life threatening.

My mom continued to cry, her hand over her mouth, shaking her head and apologizing. Why was she apologizing? It wasn't like it was her fault.

"Mom. Mom. Renee. It's fine. I'll live." Hold that. No I won't. "Okay, fine. I won't. But I want to make these next 6 months the best of my life."

I wasn't even tearing up. How pathetic. Well, it was actually pathetic that I came here for a simple fall. I was captain of my soccer team and slipped on the wet grass. Oops. But my mom, being mom, rushed me to the hospital.

"Mom. When I'm seconds from death, when I see my life flash before my eyes, I want it to be something I'm proud of. Something….something I'm glad that I lived. Right now, I'm not. So, pack your bags! We're moving….moving to…ummm….a small town in….Washington!" I shouted. I was actually getting excited. I smiled brilliantly. A new life!

My family was very well-known, an old lineage with a reputation to hold. Unfortunately. I had standards. And now, we were moving, moving away from those standards.

I looked at my mom. She was still sobbing. I sighed. This might take awhile.

"Bella. I can't lose you! I've lost Charlie, I've lost my parents, I can't lose you!" she sobbed.

Charlie was my dad who died in a tragic car accident when I was 15. He had the chocolate eyes that always sparkled with humor, the laugh lines around his eyes, and the dimples that could always make me smile. He was reckless and kind of careless. But he was fun.

I smiled weakly. "I'll say hi to him in heaven." I whispered. Then I started to worry. I was going to heaven, right?

Church every Sunday- check. Praying before bed and dinner- check. Dressing modestly- check. Obeying my mom- check. Doing good in school- check.

Then I stopped myself. I was going to be a new me. Someone not so organized. Someone…. Someone free and fun. Someone like my dad.

-:-

"You ready mom?" we were getting ready to board our private plane. We weren't actually bringing anything with us- we were going to start fresh. And this was only for 6 months.

We were closing up the house, giving the servants a break for when we were gone, setting our phones' voice mails as 'on vacation for 6 month' type of message. And that was it.

So when we got into the airport though, my mom had to get all sentimental on me.

"You'll be back in 6 months mom. Don't worry. Anyway, you could do with a break from Barbara. She's one of your stuffy old friends that I really can't stand." I said.

She smiled a watery smile. "Come on mom. The plane's going to take off." I joked. I knew it wasn't because it _was_ a private jet.

I had to be strong for my mom. I knew it. She would go to pieces and I knew I would seclude myself in my room and become depressed. And that was the last thing I wanted to do with the last 6 months of my already boring life.

When we boarded the plane, I was bouncing up and down. We were going somewhere called Forks, Washington. Small, secluded town in the middle of nowhere. Perfect.

"Hello Ms. Swan and Ms. Swan. Your private jet will be taking off shortly." The stewardess said, stiff and business-like. I frowned. She shouldn't be like that. She should enjoy her job.

"Hi what's your name?" I asked all bright and chipper. She should be happy because I was. And I was dying.

"Je-Jessica ma'am. I'm sorry if I did anything wrong." She stumbled. I smiled comfortingly.

"Jessica, how could you do anything wrong? You've said one sentence." I giggled. Such a worry wart.

"Ok…. Is there anything I can get you then?" she furrowed her eyebrows, obviously confused.

"Take a seat Jessica." I gestured to the seat next to me. My mom was in the bed behind me, sleeping.

"Okay ma'am." She said.

I nodded my head, teasing her. "Jessica, call me Bella." I smiled again. When would she thaw through?

"B-Bella." She stuttered. So on edge. Hopefully I'd be able to change that by the end of the flight.

"So, Jessica. Tell me about yourself? What's a smart, pretty girl like yourself doing as a stewardess? You strike me as a city girl." I said blandly.

Her eyes widened. "Well, you see, my husband James works here in Phoenix so…I had to get a job. And I chose a stewardess."

"You like to travel?"

"Yes."

"Where have you been?" I inquired. She was giving me boring answers!

"This is only my first flight…" she said shyly.

"Ooh! I'm your first customer. Well, people aren't always this nice. But they've always got a reason for it. Anyway, where do you want to go?"

"I really want to go to Paris. That's where I wanted to get married but I couldn't afford it." She said, sad.

"Don't worry. It's really not all it's been said to be. I mean, yeah there's the Eiffel Tower and the gondola rides. But the people are really rude. And the birds poop like crazy! And then the guys, Phew they need to wear deodorant!" I laughed at what I was saying. It was true.

Jessica actually cracked a smile! "Oh. Really?"

"Yes! After you eat, you have to wait 30 minutes for the bill! And if you did get married in France, then you'd have to invite people who probably wouldn't be able to come. Then the priest with his heavy accent. Then the rude waiters. Then the sky's going to open up and pour down on you. Ew. Maybe a place for a honeymoon where you can spend most you time indoors with your husband." I smirked at that. Wonder what they'd end up doing.

Jessica blushed. "Well, yea, but they're the fashion capital!"

"Who cares about fashion that much? As soon as you buy the new line, poof there's another new one! And, the things the runway models wear are actually kind of ugly. And they don't smile. They look like…vampires. So pale and unsmiling. Creepy." I pretended to shiver.

Jessica laughed. "Yeah I guess. I always found fashion interesting though."

"Well, some things are interesting, like the different dresses. But really, how many different ways can you make a pink dress that's actually decent? No one wants to wear those dresses that poof out and are too short to a formal function. They want the long elegant dresses. If it fits, get it! Who cares if it's from Dillards? If people do, then tell them to screw themselves."

Jessica blushed again.

"Yes! I agree!"

We continued talking; she slowly warmed up to me. She'd definitely be getting a large tip. She really was a nice girl.

The plane landed all too soon. I got up and hugged her. She'd make a great friend. If only I could stay longer.

"Bye Jess!" she smiled sadly.

"I hope all people that I fly with are as nice as you." She said.

"Me too. But a lot of people have a stick stuck up their you know what."

We laughed. I was surprised my mom didn't yell at me for my language, like she normally would. But I really didn't care.

I was no longer the 'shy, quiet, afraid-to-get-in-trouble' Isabella Swan. Now I was going to do what I wanted when I wanted.

_Watch out world. Here I come _I thought to myself. This was going to be the best 6 months of my life. I'd make sure of it.

* * *

**thx for reading guys! so should i continue? **

**anyway, dont 4get to review! **

**and im going on a cruise for thxgiving so i wont b able to update this story but i WILL be writing it on the cruise so when i get back i only have to type them!**

**so happy early thxgiving!**


	2. Want to see the couch?

**Thanks to my reviewers: NattiZ, A Cullen twilighter, Alltheabove, Mimi-Love-4ever, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., twilite addict**

**i'm going to dedicate a chapter to one of my reviewers each time because they deserve recognition! at least, i think they do!**

**so i'll dedicate this chapter to A Cullen twilighter for being my first reviewer! and for reading this story along with my other, _The World Hates Us_**

_I was no longer the 'shy, quiet, afraid-to-get-in-trouble' Isabella Swan. Now I was going to do what I wanted when I wanted._

Watch out world. Here I come_ I thought to myself. This was going to be the best 6 months of my life. I'd make sure of it._

**Chapter 2: Want to see the Couch?**

BPOV

"We're home mom!" I screamed. I was so excited! A new life. A new beginning. And a nearing end. But I blocked that thought out. I needed to stay strong.

"Mmm….yea…we are." My mom said. She obviously wasn't too happy with our living conditions. I didn't see how she couldn't be though.

It was a huge house- 5 bedrooms, 4 baths. A huge kitchen with a bar, a huge dining room, a huge pool. Get the word huge? And it was for 2 people. But my mom liked to live in comfort. And of course, acres of land. I even had a horse here. But we _were_ staying here for 6 months. So comfort was definitely needed.

"Come on mom! Furniture shopping!" I shouted. After we finished that, I wanted to go riding on my new horse.

"Yes yes honey. Let me touch up my makeup though." I rolled my eyes. We were in the middle of nowhere. Who would care?

But five minutes later, she was ready.

"So, where's the nearest furniture store?" I asked.

"Well, Tommy is our limo driver."

I balked. Did she just say limo driver? Why would we need a limo driver?

"Can't we just take the…the Porsche or the Mercedes?" I begged. Please make her say yes please!

"Well, just for the first week. But you can take the Porsche to school. I just want to get a feel of this town. And find a place where we can hire a servant. And chef. And maid. And—"

"I get the picture mom. Let's go!" I swept my arm dramatically and we walked out the door.

We were in very private property, the second biggest house in Forks. The limo driver knew we were rich and acted overly helpful, definitely looking for a large tip. I smirked. When it came to tipping, my mom was a hard ass. She expected perfect service. Right now, 'Tommy' was just being annoying.

"And here we are my ladies! I'll wait in the car." Tommy said.

"Of course you'll wait in the car Tommy! I can't have you driving off!" my mother exclaimed. I sighed.

"Come on mom. Let's not make a scene." But we already were. People were staring at us and the limo. I wanted to get out of the spotlight.

"Move along mom." I pressed again.

"Coming." She said, bored. Obviously she had never gone shopping for furniture before. Always hiring an interior designer.

When we got inside, I was hit by the smell of leather. There were couches, beds, tables, sofas, chairs, dining room tables, dressers, etc. So much stuff!

"Ooh mom! I want this couch!" I jumped into a plushy couch that was of soft fabric and seemed extra squishy.

"Hey! Who are you—" the voice stopped. She obviously knew we were rich.

"Oh I'm sorry madams. What can I do for you?" the sales lady asked in a sickly sweet voice. I almost gagged. My mom, however, didn't hold it back.

"Honey, don't use that voice. You're not going to get many customers that way. Act like you care! And wear a larger shirt. It's obviously too small for you." My mom scolded her. I cracked up. She always did it to me. New town, new person to harass.

The lady blushed and scurried off, embarrassed.

"Mom I can't believe you just did that!"

"Well, she was being annoying. And I do like that couch!" Renee defended herself. I just smiled. We were finally having a mother-daughter moment. Finally.

But everything good comes to an end. I just didn't know mine was coming so soon.

Renee stopped smiling and then the mask replaced her carefree expression.

"We shouldn't be doing this. I'll request a personal designer to finish by today." She said in the calm, cool voice she used when talking about business. And I knew that that was going to cost a lot. A designer, finishing the house by today? Impossible.

"Come on mom! We can do it! We just need to get the beds first for tonight. We can work on the house during the week. It'd be fun! And since it's only October, school won't be that far so I'd have plenty of time to work on it with you! It'll be fun!" I was actually really excited to bond with my mom.

"Well, a designer can do the same thing. Just better." My mom replied stiffly.

"I wanted to do this with you." I replied adamantly. Why did she insist on a personal designer? Such a waste of money!

"You have school to attend to." She said in the same tone.

"I wanted to spend time with you mom. You know, mother daughter moment?" I said quietly. Did she really hate me that much?

I turned on my heel and walked out of the store. I needed space. And time. But I didn't have the latter unfortunately.

-:-

EPOV

Alice had called me, saying that she needed help with some colors for furniture. Like I cared. Ever since I had changed from human to vampire, my life was a living hell. And I had been living in it for 100 years.

I didn't even know why she called me. I would have found out sooner or later. When she asked the family at home. And wasn't this Esme's job? But being the good brother I was, I came.

But then it hit me. The scent of the girl across from me. She was leaning against that wall of the store, gasping for air. What was wrong?

She was beautiful. I could see that much. The long, luscious, brown hair. And the tiny frame. The long legs. And she smelled so good. So sweet. I clenched my fists. Focus Edward!

Then she looked up. I was met with the most gorgeous pair of chocolate eyes, easily being lost in their depths.

Then the bells from the door tinkled. I snapped my head up. So did that girl. The lady looked down at her and jerked her head towards the car. The ten foot limo that was parked besides my car.

The girl mumbled "don't see why we couldn't take the Mercedes" under her breath. I almost laughed. She obviously didn't like flaunting her wealth as much as her…mother? Did.

But her head jerked up. As if she had heard the laugh that almost escaped between my lips. She smiled and made a face behind the woman's back. I chuckled.

Then she was gone in her limo. And then it hit me. Well, two things.

One was my sister, flying out of the store. She was bouncing, jumping up and down. Excited for some reason.

The second was the fact that I couldn't hear her mind. _My _mind was still on that girl.

"Her name's Bella Edward. The lady with her was her mom, Renee." She chirped out.

Damn pixie with her damn future telling abilities. But it was quite helpful with the stock markets.

"Huh? What makes you think I care?" I snapped out. Alice merely smirked, knowingly. She was blocking her thoughts.

"Whatever Alice. She's just a random girl." I grumbled.

"That you can't read the mind of! And admit it, you think she's hot!" she squealed.

I growled. But only because all of the above were true. Damn pixie!

"Oh Edward, it's okay to admit that you're infatuated with her!" Alice chirped again.

I stayed silent, refusing to respond to her jibing.

"Stop being a baby Edward. Oh and the couch I wanted to show you—"

Then it got to me. "Alice! I'm not infatuated with that….that girl! I could care less what happened to her! If she died within the next year, I could care less!" I shouted. She could be so infuriating!

She simply nodded her head along with what I was saying. Still blocking her thoughts with the most annoying Jonas Brothers Song. Adding 'I know you hate this music Edward but I just love annoying you!' every few lines.

"So, you want to see the couch?" I just nodded, giving up. You can never win against Alice.

* * *

**I wasn't expecting to have this chapter up today but i guess it is! obviously...**

**BUT IM LEAVING TOMORROW!! WONT BE ABLE TO UPDATE UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY. AS IN A WEEK FROM TOMORROW! SO SORRY!!**

**Don't forget to review! i only got 6 reviews! thats not bad..but not great either...so when i come back nxt sunday i want at least 10 reviews for this chapter!**

**Oh and here's a little preview:**

_"Hold up! Where you going hot stuff? You busy Friday night?" okay fine he was getting on my nerves. _

_"I'm going to my neighbor's house. And yes, I'm busy Friday night. And the night after that. Actually, I'm busy every night. Now go find some other girl to screw with." Wow that felt good to do. Normally, I would be all restrained, polite, shy. Now I was bitchy and rude. It felt good._


	3. You took my Couch!

**Thanks to my reviewers: **laondablanca, Hiroko Of God, IloveEdwardNotJacob, Shizuku Tsukishima749, Alltheabove, snoodles, A Cullen twilighter, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes.

**And i'd like to dedicate this chapter to Shizuku Tsukishima749 for an wonderfully nice and awesome review :)**

****IMPORTANT!! **

_She simply nodded her head along with what I was saying. Still blocking her thoughts with the most annoying Jonas Brothers Song. Adding 'I know you hate this music Edward but I just love annoying you!' every few lines. _

"_So, you want to see the couch?" I just nodded, giving up. You can never win against Alice. _

**Chapter 3: You took my Couch!**

BPOV

Wow. That guy was hot! I mean, I really didn't want to get involved with anyone because of my lack of time and I didn't want to end up hurting the guy, but that didn't mean I couldn't look. He was hot. Very hot. Amazingly hot.

Bronze hair, topaz eyes, pale in a heavenly way. I smiled.

But then I remembered where I was. In the limo. Sitting across from a very unhappy looking Renee.

"Yes mom?" I asked sweetly.

"Hmm? Nothing." She said absent mindedly. That was different. She would normally reprimand me for 'embarrassing her in public.' Whatever.

"Oh and you're going over to meet our neighbors." Renee added.

"What?!" I exclaimed. By myself? Slow down…meet neighbors? When had anyone said anything about that?

"Well, I called our neighbors. The Cullens. I would love to join you but I have a headache. And ask them if they know any designers. They didn't have any at that last…place." She ordered.

We had ordered mattresses so we wouldn't be sleeping on the floor. She had also come out with a bag of linens too. And I knew she was going to go out, buy two laptops and then order our clothes 'urgent' from online. And urgent meant one day shipping. So they'd be here by 11.

"Stop here Tommy!" she commanded the driver. He screeched to a halt. We were outside a Circuit City. Convenient.

"Stay here. I'll get the laptops honey. Then we'll go to the mall for an hour and pick up some cosmetics and tonight's outfit. I prefer buying clothes online when I have more time." My mom said. I sighed.

About 10 minutes later, she came back.

"Here you go." She handed me the box. "It has a touch screen and the screen part rotates and then flattens so you can draw on it with the stylus. It's really cool!" my mom was obsessed with touch screens. I nodded and smiled. I'd be fine with a Mac laptop too, but she of course, didn't understand, seeing how it lacked a touch screen.

When we arrived at the mall, I was surprised to find we were in Seattle.

"How long have we been in Seattle mom?"

"The whole time honey. You didn't honestly think that there'd be some shop decent enough for us in Forks, did you?" my mom asked as if expecting me to believe that. But I ignored her. She thought that since she had money that it made her better than everyone else.

"Whatever. Let's go." I said when we pulled up to the mall.

I wanted to make this quick and get it over with. Fast whoosh done! But no…my mom had to take forever in Gucci fawning over a blue dress. And of course, we ended up getting it. After gushing over its 'awesomeness'. I could have cared less.

When we finally arrived home, the delivery truck with our mattresses was there. I smiled. I had wanted to start clean, start fresh, start new. And the mattresses were going to be the first part I guess.

"Honey, I'll take care of this. Here are the keys to the Porsche and drive yourself to the Cullens' house. They're right across the street. About a 5 minute drive." She said. It was because each of our property's were so big.

"Sure sure." I was just psyched to meet them. Not.

Bella! Be nice! Remember your promise to yourself- carefree! Be more like Charlie!

And for all you know, they could turn out to be really nice. And become your best friends! I tried to persuade myself. But it wasn't working. I didn't expect it to.

"Hey mom, shouldn't I bring over a wine or flowers or something?" I asked. It was the least I could do.

"Flowers. There's a market in the town square." My mom replied. I raised my eyebrows. She knew this how?

"Kay." I said.

Then I headed out the door. I drove my yellow Porsche to the town square and picked up a bouquet of freesias and tulips. And then I decided to start a garden, so I picked up some seeds. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, two types of basil, cilantro, tomatoes, roses and poppy seeds. I'd try to make my garden look good.

When I got outside, I saw these two guys staring at my car in envy. I shook my head and started walking towards it. They looked up when they saw me.

"Hey baby. Nice ride. Hot girl, hot car." One of them said. Ew.

"Um..who are you? I'm Bella." I said to be polite.

"I'm Mike and this here is my friend Tyler." The blonde haired kid said. Tyler had black hair. And a huge ugly afro. These two kids were double ew.

"Well, nice to meet the both of you." I said. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. They gave me the creeps.

"Hold up! Where you going hot stuff? You busy Friday night?" okay fine he was getting on my nerves.

"I'm going to my neighbor's house. And yes, I'm busy Friday night. And the night after that. Actually, I'm busy every night. Now go find some other girl to screw with." Wow that felt good to do. Normally, I would be all restrained, polite, shy. Now I was bitchy and rude. It felt good.

Then I hopped in my car and sped off. I watched the dial increase. 60. 70.n 80. 90. I was pushing 100. Then I screeched to a halt. I saw the Cullen's house. It was huge. Bigger than mine.

I parked in the front yard then got out. Just as I was about to knock, the front door was opened by a short, pixie like girl.

"Hey, I'm Alice." She said excitedly. It would be hard not to get along with her.

"Hey Alice. I'm Bella as I'm sure you know. Word spreads fast in the small town of Forks." I said. She laughed; it sounded like a tinkling of bells.

"Hi, I'm Carlisle." A blonde man said. He couldn't be more than 30. "And this is my family. My wife Esme, my daughters Rosalie and Alice, and my sons, Jasper, Emmett and Edward."

I smiled and nodded at each person. Then I recognized Edward as the guy who I had made a face at outside of that furniture store.

"Hey! I know you!" I pointed out, giggling.

"Yea, I remember you too. It's hard to forget someone as beautiful as you." He complimented. I blushed and laughed. He was so cute!

"So, you end up getting anything? I know my mom didn't." I asked.

His eyes twinkled. I knew he was holding back a laugh. But he held himself oddly, as if restraining himself. He seemed so rigid.

"Yeah, we ended up getting a couch for my room. It was white and soft, super squishy."

"Hey, I think that's the one I wanted!"

"Want to see it?" he asked, doubtful.

"Yes! I need to know if I'm to hate you forever because you took my couch!" I teased. I just really wanted to see his room. But he didn't need to know that.

"Okay." He was smiling, so he knew I was joking. But he still seemed as if he was restraining himself; he was so rigid.

We walked up three flights of stairs. On the left was his room. It was open and spacious, with rows and rows of music.

"Wow! How do you have these organized?" he had A LOT of music!

"By time period and then personal preference within the period. Weren't we going to look at 'your couch?'" he suddenly seemed colder. Weird.

"Oh yea! Sorry." Then I saw it. The very couch my mom said 'she liked but no.' aka she didn't like it. I smiled wistfully.

"At least I know that it'll have a good home." I said. He raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. He nodded even though I knew he was still confused. But we headed downstairs to where his family was waiting.

"So, what's the verdict?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded. "Yea, you guys took my couch."

* * *

**Okay i know, these chapters are mostly introductory. kindaish....but trust me, chapter 5 involves Schizophrenia lol **

**and the next chapter involves a lake in mid October and it's called First Crush**

****AND IMPORTANT!! **

**IM GOING ON A CRUISE FOR 7 DAYS STARTING TOMORROW!! SO I WONT BE ABLE TO UPDATE!!!!!**

**so im so sorry about that! but once i get home from the cruise, i will post 2 chapters up 4 forgiveness!! maybe even 3!!**

**AND**

**HAPPY EARLY THXGIVING!!!!**


	4. First Crush

**IM BACK!!! AND YES I HAD FUN PROBABLY MORE FUN THAN YOU GUYS LOLN JK**

**Thanks to my reviewers: ****Aamayzaintwilight2, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., Alltheabove, twilight addict, 4everbellaxedward, laondablanca**

**and i dedicate this chapter to laondablanca :)**

**Notes to reader: **

**The characters are a little OOC. Bella's blood isn't as attractive to Edward as in the book, but still makes Edward have to be extra careful around her. Bella is NOT a klutz because I think it's overused how Edward's always catching her. And she doesn't blush as much because she's not embarrassed that often- she has 6 months to live and doesn't care what people think. **

**also, on my totally awesome cruise, i typed up 2 chapter 19 yay! however, it seemed to be going a little too fast boo!!**

**so i was thinking, do you guys care or not really? i mean, it kinda 'shows' the attraction more, the love between the 2, but theres still like 6 months left lol **

**so tell me if u think i should retype it (cuz the place where i can change it is chapter 10) however if i do, the chapters will be posted ALOT slower cuz thats alot of retyping lol**

"At least I know that it'll have a good home." I said. He raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. He nodded even though I knew he was still confused. But we headed downstairs to where his family was waiting.

"So, what's the verdict?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded. "Yea, you guys took my couch."

Chapter 4: First Crush

EPOV

It was that girl again! When I had gotten home after Alice and I had picked out the couch, I told Carlisle about it. Alice said she'd be going to our school. So Carlisle told me to learn how to control my thirst even though I had been perfecting it for the past…100 years. Joy.

So I knew I'd have to be strong. Not think about her scent. Her warm, heavenly scent. And the taste her blood would have under my tongue…

"Edward!" I jumped. That was a first.

_That was a first_ Alice said in her head. Exactly what I was thinking…

"Yes sister dear?" I growled. I was busy…fantasizing about the girl with her brown, doe eyes and the taste of her blood…

"Well, I was thinking that we should take Bella to the park." She said, slowly. And I snapped out of it. Crap, the girl was right next to me. If Alice hadn't snapped me out of my daze, I'd probably end up killing Bella who was right next to me.

_I wonder why she's not afraid of us_…. Carlisle thought.

_The poor dear! But she's not even scared_….. Esme was thinking.

_It's the best of both worlds!_ Alice was obnoxiously singing Hannah Montana.

_Not even afraid,…no trace of fear_…. Jasper was puzzled. Humans were normally terrified for their lives when they were around us.

"It's October Alice. It'd be freezing." I said, glaring at her. She must know how hard it was to stay away from Bella and her scent! I was barely controlling myself. She was a nice girl…but I didn't want to end up killing her.

Bella's tinkling laugh rang through the room. "I don't care. I want to go to the park!" she exclaimed.

"Oh but Bella. October here is different from October in Phoenix. You'll catch your death from the cold!" I tried persuading her to say no. I wanted…needed to get away from her!

But she merely laughed. The whole-throwing you head back and laugh-laugh. What was wrong with her? Did she think death was funny?

Alice could see me visibly fuming.

_Stop Edward. You don't know anything about her!_ She scolded. She no longer seemed her happy chipper self. And she was still blocking me. Whatever.

APOV

Edward was acting like such an ass! We were in Bella's Porsche- and I totally wanted one- and he was ignoring her.

I knew her blood called to him, but still. She was dying. I saw her in a hospital bed and the doctor said "Well, Bella I hope you enjoyed the last 6 months of your life. I'm sorry." And there really wasn't much more he could say. It would be very awkward and uncomfortable.

I felt Edward stiffen behind me. _Did you hear that_? I asked in my mind.

He shook his head. Aww it was probably the fact that he couldn't stand being in the car with Bella's intoxicating scent. He nodded.

_Hold your breath then! I know you just want an excuse to stay away from her! But_ I_ like her so deal with it! _I mentally screamed at him. He just rolled his eyes. He could be so infuriating at times!

"Bella I love your car! I might have to get me one of these! Edward, will you get me a yellow one like this for Christmas?" I batted my eyelashes at my brother.

"Sure Alice." He said gruffly. I smirked.

"No need Alice. You can have this car in 6 months."

"Really Bella? That's so nice! But I couldn't…"

"Don't worry Alice. I insist." She said. I knew she didn't want to tell us her news. So I just nodded and thanked her. After all, this _was_ a really and I mean really nice car. And it was new!

EPOV

Wow Bella takes hospitality to the next level! Giving my sister her brand new Porsche. I could even tell that the car was new because of the leathery smell. Or maybe she was just trying to flaunt her wealth by giving away her car. That would seem more natural for her. Rich mom plus rich child plus good looks equal bitchy snob. I would know.

Cough cough Rosalie.

Or maybe she's just nice like that. Why must you always see the worst in people Edward? So cynical my mind said. Grr…. I just wanted to get this Bella girl out of my hair and away from me and my family. But then again, her and Alice seemed to really get along.

Before I knew it we were at the park. Forks Park Central. It was actually one of my favorite places. But whenever I went, girls would hit on me. So I usually went into my personal meadow away from all the girl fanatics.

And surprisingly, Bella hadn't hit on me once. Not even once. No flirty eyes, no stroking my arms, no staring at me. She was a human that treated me like…like a human. Which was so very unusual. I liked it.

As soon as Bella parked, she was out of the car and running towards the lake. And she was a fast runner. She probably did track or soccer or something at her old school. And I suddenly found myself interested in her. I had so many questions! And not being able to read her mind didn't help.

I wanted to know why she wanted to give her car to Alice. Was she simply being nice? What sports did she do? What did she like? Where did she go before? Why did she move here? Why wasn't she fawning over me- I appreciated it, but still?

Then the more personal ones- what was her favorite color? Food? Subject? Movie? Book? Song? Hobby?

Then I saw what Bella was wearing which stopped me in my tracks. It was 50 degrees out. And she wearing shorts. Very short shorts. And a tank top. And flip flops. She was going to get sick!

"Jeez Edward. I'm not Jasper but I can feel your emotions. Well, one emotion. Worry. What are you worried about?" Alice asked me.

"Bella could get sick! She running around in a tank top and shorts! It's already cold enough! She should bundle up before she gets so sick that she'll…she'll die!" I exclaimed. And if I could have blushed, I would of. Wow. I can't believe I just told my sister my worries. I knew I was going to regret it.

"Aww… Does little Edward have a little crush? It's okay Edward. There's a first time for everything!" Alice chirped. See, I knew I was going to regret it!

Then I turned at the sound of splashing. Bella had just jumped off the pier and into the lake! What did she think she was doing?! Some of the people in the park were looking at her like she was crazy. But she came up for air and started laughing. Carefree. As if she wasn't already about to get sick and die from coldness.

Without thinking, I sprinted over to the lake and dived in after her.

_Preview:_

_Well, he wasn't able to breathe because of Bella's intoxicating scent. And he had an annoying sister to deal with. And since he couldn't breathe…. I could torture him without any witty comeback from him. Hehehe. This was going to be fun._

**oh haha chapter 5 is called schizophrenic and is actually kinda funny lol**

**also, on my totally awesome cruise, i typed up 2 chapter 19 yay! however, it seemed to be going a little too fast boo!!**

**so i was thinking, do you guys care or not really? i mean, it kinda 'shows' the attraction more, the love between the 2, but theres still like 6 months left lol **

**so tell me if u think i should retype it (cuz the place where i can change it is chapter 10) however if i do, the chapters will be posted ALOT slower cuz thats alot of retyping lol**

**so REVIEW PLS!!**


	5. Schizophrenic

**Thanks to my reviewers: Zara Raine, donut patrol, Snoodles, twilite addict, soccerchick8, Team-Edward3849 **

**and i dedicate this chapter to twilite addict for convincing me to just keep the chapters as is :)**

_**I PERSONALLY** **FOUND THIS CHAPTER KIND OF FUNNY :)**_

Then I turned at the sound of splashing. Bella had just jumped off the pier and into the lake! What did she think she was doing?! Some of the people in the park were looking at her like she was crazy. But she came up for air and started laughing. Carefree. As if she wasn't already about to get sick and die from coldness.

Without thinking, I sprinted over to the lake and dived in after her.

Chapter 5: Schizophrenic

APOV

Aww this was so sweet! My brother was jumping in to save our new friend! And it wasn't like she couldn't swim. I could see what she was doing. She just wanted to have fun with the last—

It's the best of both worlds! I blocked my thoughts so Edward wouldn't hear them. Because I knew why Bella didn't want anyone to know. And she'd let Edward know in due time. But I was just afraid of what his reaction was going to be…

"Bella! What do you think you're doing?!" I heard Edward reprimand Bella.

"I was going for a swim in the lake before little miss bossy over here had to come in and save me from my fun! Now put me down Edward! I'm more worried about you! You're colder than me!" I heard Bella shout. I was cracking up. This was hilarious!

"Bella Bella Bella. You are going to die by doing stupid stuff like that!" Edward shouted. He should not have said that. But then again, he didn't know.

"I'm going to die some time in my life Edward. May as well have fun before I do." She replied cheeckily. Then she hopped out of his arms and started to run. Well, jog and spin in circles, laughing as the breeze whipped through her hair. She must have been freezing but she didn't act like she even felt it.

"BELLA! STOP!" Edward shouted after her. And he actually had to run at human pace. And she was fast. He was going to have to be careful not to be too fast.

_Edward! If you do catch her, she's still going to be freezing. Let's take her home_. I said in my head. He nodded then sped up.

"Bella Bella Bella. What are we going to do with you?" Edward had her in his arms. I assumed that since it was outside he didn't have as much of a problem with her scent.

"Well, first you're going to put me down. Then, you're going to let me walk to my Porsche. After that, you're going to make me dinner at your place." Then she poked his nose and started laughing.

I was already laughing. Well, cracking up. She was the first girl to not fawn over him, then she was totally crazy where as other girls tried to act 'cool' then she ordered him around! I liked this girl.

Edward just glared at me. And refused to put Bella down. Which pissed her off.

"Put me down! You freakishly strong person! Put me down!"

But then she started chattering. We needed to get her warm clothes. Fast.

"Bella, we don't want you to be sick for school on Monday! Don't worry, we'll drive you home." I chirped out. By now we were in car. Edward was driving and I sat in the back seat. Give the love birds some space.

Edward glared at me. I smiled innocently. Hmm…. _How'd you do that Edward? It's almost like…like you can read my thoughts!_ I mentally teased him. This was fun, especially because he couldn't yell at me.

**Now I'm speechless  
Over the edge and just breathless  
I never thought that I'd catch this  
Love bug again  
Hopeless, head over heels in the moment  
I never thought that I'd get hit  
With this love bug again**

**(A/N: I had to look these up because I personally find the Jonas Brothers annoying! That's how much I love you!)**

He was gritting his teeth now. He hated the Jonas Brothers and I knew it.

"Alice." He warned. I smiled angelically.

"Yes brother dear?"

"Shut up!" he said so only I could hear. It was too fast for Bella to be able to catch it.

"But I'm not saying anything. And it's not like you can read my mind or anything." I said so Bella could hear. I loved annoying my brother. And I knew Bella was going to enjoy it too.

"Alice! Is your brother a schizophrenic?" she whispered shouted to me. I smirked. He was. In a sense.

"I don't know. Let's ask Edward. Edward, do you hear voices in your mind that no one else can hear?" I questioned, all business like.

Edward was seething now. He looked ready to kill me.

"No Alice." He snapped out. Well, he wasn't able to breathe because of Bella's intoxicating scent. And he had an annoying sister to deal with. And since he couldn't breathe…. I could torture him without any witty comeback from him. Hehehe. This was going to be fun.

"Are you sure Edward? No voices saying things to you?" _Turn left here Edward_. The car turned left.

"Wow! How'd you know to turn left here Edward? You're either a stalker or you really _are_ a schizophrenic!" Bella said. She had no idea. Yes, he was a stalker because he was going to watch her sleep tonight. And yes, he really was a schizophrenic.

I laughed and Bella soon joined me. This was just too funny! Edward wasn't looking to happy though. And I knew he heard the part about watching her sleep. And I knew that he wouldn't be able to resist!

But then we pulled up to Bella's house. Her house was almost as big as ours and it only housed two people!

She rolled her eyes. "We're only staying here for 6 months. And my mom just had to buy a mansion. She likes to live in comfort." She said scathingly. I guess they didn't have the best mother-daughter relationship.

And then I saw all the boxes.

"You still haven't moved in yet Bella?" I asked.

"No. These are just the clothes. My mom ordered them online like she always does."

"Oh! We have to go shopping! I'll take you!" I squealed. Shopping!

"No thanks Alice. Oh, I was supposed to ask you. Do you know any interior designers? My mom wants to hire one."

"Yup! Esme's one!"

"Oh okay. I'll come over tomorrow to talk to her. And you guys can meet my mom. Joy." She mumbled the last word under her breath.

"Ok! See you tomorrow Bella!" I shouted.

"Oh how are you guys going to get home?" she asked as it suddenly hit her. Oh yea, normal people don't walk 15 miles in the dark.

"You guys take the Porsche home. Tomorrow, I'll ride with my mom in Mercedes then I'll take the Porsche back home." She said.

"Okay!" I was really excited to drive the Porsche! It must have showed because she laughed then walked inside.

"I'm driving Edward!"

_**Preview:**_

"_Charlie… Don't leave… with the pickles! I want pickles…. And ketchup… mmmh." she was so confusing, irritating, infuriating and stubborn, warm, intriguing and urgh! I wanted to know what she was talking about. I wanted to know everything about her. _

_So I stood in corner of her room, watching her sleep. Just like the stalker Alice said I was. _

_**PLS REVIEW!!**_


	6. Charlie

OMG I GOT 10 REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER!!!

Thanks to my reviewers: His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., IloveEdwardNotJacob, alilove, twilite addict, 4everbellaxedward, Zara Raine, A Cullen twilighter, future-impending, LMELMK-1970, evernightforcast

and i dedicate this chapter to His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes. for being my #1 BFF on FF and for putting up with both my stories!!!

"_You guys take the Porsche home. Tomorrow, I'll ride with my mom in Mercedes then I'll take the Porsche back home." She said. _

"_Okay!" I was really excited to drive the Porsche! It must have showed because she laughed then walked inside. _

"_I'm driving Edward!" _

Chapter 6: Charlie

EPOV

Alice was so excited to drive the Porsche, but I wouldn't allow her. Torturing me when she knew full well that I was practically in pain.

"Nope. I don't think so! Paybacks a bitch Alice." I said, smirking. She pouted. She knew I was going to win.

"Fine!" she huffed.

As we drove back, my mind mulled over that night's events. And Bella. Well, only Bella. She was just so intriguing!

And what was 6 months about? Refurnishing a house for just 6 months and buying new cars to go with it? I knew they could afford it but… it was kind of a waste.

And she didn't care about life. She'd rather have fun then worry about dying. That was so new. And she was so stubborn! I remembered her demanding that I put her down. She felt so nice in my arms and against my chest! And her eyes! They just drew the looker in!

I felt this new feeling that I didn't realize what it was. It spread through my body and it felt nice. It felt warm.

"Jazzy!" Alice screamed. I jumped again. Damn she surprised me again!

"Edward! That's a first!" Jasper said.

"It's actually a second. I surprised him earlier today." Alice said smugly. But I was ignoring them, focusing the feeling that I felt. I didn't know how to name it!

"Wow, dude, who's the lucky girl?" Jasper asked. I looked up. What was he talking about?

"Huh?"

"You're in love! I can feel it radiating off you! So who's finally caught Edward's stone cold heart? It's that Bella girl isn't it?!" Jasper asked. He needed to stop hanging out with Alice- she was rubbing off on him.

"Shut up Jasper!"

"I knew it! It is!" Jasper squealed like a little girl. Yea, that was definitely Alice's doing.

I ignored him and ran up to my room. I laid on the couch and faintly smelled Bella's smell on it. I inhaled deeply and listened to the music that was playing, thinking of Bella. But it wasn't enough. I felt this urge to see her. To touch her. To kiss those luscious lips of her.

And it wasn't like I loved her. It was too soon. I mean, I just met her. So I'd just see her to make sure she was safe. Safe from danger. Satisfied with my excuse, I jumped out my window and ran to her house.

Within two minutes, I was there. Her room was on the third floor and her window was open. I easily scaled the house and hopped into her room noiselessly. She was sleeping on a mattress that was on the floor. Her hair was splayed out on her pillow and the sheets were pulled up over her. She looked so peaceful!

And she was mumbling some things. A sleep talker?

"Charlie…. I love you Charlie…." My heart dropped. Who was Charlie? Was he her boyfriend? And she loved him. I turned around to go.

"Dad… Charlie… Don't go. Please don't go." She whimpered. Charlie was her father? Did he leave them? Why would he leave them? What happened.

"Don't worry Bella. It's okay.." I whispered into the air. I didn't think she heard me.

"Charlie… Don't leave… with the pickles! I want pickles…. And ketchup… mmmh." she was so confusing, irritating, infuriating and stubborn, warm, intriguing and urgh! I wanted to know what she was talking about. I wanted to know everything about her.

So I stood in corner of her room, watching her sleep. Just like the stalker Alice said I was.

BPOV

I dreamed about Charlie again. I dreamt that I was in the car with Charlie. He was driving as he normally would, totally oblivious. We were on I 95, about to go onto the intersection that led to his work place. And then we were hit from the side by this truck. This gasoline truck. And everything exploded.

Flames and the heat, the smoke, the smell of gasoline and burning flesh. It wasn't like I was with him when he had been hit by the car. I had been driving behind him.

EPOV

She was squirming as her dreams took control of her. I could see the fear and anguish sketched on her beautiful face. I wondered what she was seeing. What she was dreaming about.

I wanted to protect her from whatever was causing her nightmares. I wanted to go up to her and wrap my arms around her. Press my lips to her hair. Comfort her and ward off the bad dreams. I wanted to be her knight in shining armor, she as my princess.

BPOV

Then I remembered a better dream. Charlie and I were at McDonalds. I was 6. We were eating out Kids' Meals- yes, he got a Kid's meals- when he exclaimed that there weren't any pickles!

So he went up the cashier and demanded pickles. It was actually kind of funny. So we bought another set of Kid's Meals, this time with pickles and extra ketchup. It wasn't funny, but it was sweet. He was the perfect father. And I loved him.

And then I realized that I'd be able to join him in 6 months. 6 measly months. Not that I was emo depressant or anything, just excited to see my father. He had been gone for approximately a year now. A long, long year. And cut that in half, and I'd be able to join him. Be able to scream Daddy! Be able to bring a boy home and have him receive death glares from my dad. Be able to be Daddy's little girl.

I was only 16. And I really needed a father. I needed a mother. But Renee had never been much of a mother to me. I was always so alone…. And I needed my father. 6 months Bella, 6 months.

Then Edward's eyes came into view. Well, the odd color of them. The topaz color with speckles of black in them. The most beautiful eyes.

EPOV

She kept mumbling things. Well, one thing. "6 months." What was it with that? Why was she leaving in 6 months?! What was happening in 6 months!

And then I realized it. I was for her.

_It's been one day you idiot! And you'd probably end up killing her! _

But she was so innocent. So vulnerable. She was gorgeous. Carefree. Fun. Stubborn. Loving. Funny. The list went on and on.

I could no longer deny it. I was falling in love with Isabella Marie Swan.

_Preview:_

"_Pop Tarts?" _

"_The deliciously wonderful food that can be put in the toaster or be eaten plain. And is filled with sugary yumness."_

i'll update tomorrow!


	7. Pop Tarts

**Thanks to my reviewers: ** **IloveEdwardNotJacob, A Cullen twilighter, aamayzaintwilight2, LMELMK-1970, iloveTwilight-kk , twilite addict, Alltheabove, suckerforavampire, WannaBeBella13, andrea-af91, Team-Edward3849**

**Wow I got 11 reviews!! Thanks so much! and I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: Team-Edward3849 for an awesome review :)**

_But she was so innocent. So vulnerable. She was gorgeous. Carefree. Fun. Stubborn. Loving. Funny. The list went on and on. _

_I could no longer deny it. I was falling in love with Isabella Marie Swan. _

Chapter 7: Pop Tarts

BPOV

I woke up ill rested again. The dreams about Charlie were haunting me. I looked in the mirror and noticed that I had the large purple bags under my eyes.

When I came home last night, my mom threw a fit about my wet clothes. But I changed and then-drum roll- we ordered pizza. Gasp!

My mom hated ordering in. She'd rather have a chef cook dinner for her personally. I'd rather make dinner with her but I was never taught how to cook. It was actually kind of sad. She expected me to live like her when I grew up. Like that would ever happen.

I looked at the clock. It was 6:30. I shrugged and started to my closet. Hmm…what to wear? I chose a simple outfit- jeans, a black Gucci shirt and boots. I added a pink and grey striped scarf to complete the look.

I crept into my mom's room to find her still sleeping with a sleeping mask pulled over her eyes. I rolled my eyes.

I decided to explore town. Nobody would be out and nobody would be up. I ran outside into the 40 degrees weather and the second I was in the Mercedes, turned the heat up. The blast from the heater instantly warmed my fingers.

I drove into the town center. I saw the police station, the school, and the super market. It really was a quaint little town. I liked it so much better than the crowded and busy cities like Phoenix.

_Ring! Ring!_ I looked at the caller ID. It was my mom.

"Morning!" I said cheerily.

"Where are you?! I wake up this morning and you're not here!" she shouted into the phone.

"I'm in town. It's 7:00 in the morning. I expected you to still be sleeping. I was going to pick up some Pop Tarts from the super market."

"Pop Tarts?"

"The deliciously wonderful food that can be put in the toaster or be eaten plain. And is filled with sugary yumness." I couldn't believe she'd never had Pop Tarts before!

"Honey, just pick me up some fruit." She said before hanging up. I sighed. She really didn't want to bond with me. Maybe it was something about me. She probably thought I wasn't good enough to be her daughter. I sighed and parked the car. The market was just opening so I'd be the first customer.

Renee POV

I knew I was probably hurting my daughter by never being much a mother, but she reminded me too much of Charlie. Yes, she looked like me but she had Charlie's spirit. The freedom, the carelessness, the joy that she could bring to people's lives.

I tried reining her in so she wouldn't remind me so much of Charlie, my late husband, but I didn't really know how. It kind of worked- she would stay home and do her homework, never going to parties and having fun. But that was only after her father died. But she seemed so unhappy. And it didn't help to be around her. The wave of depression that would sweep over you by seeing such a sad girl that used to be so happy.

I knew I was never much of a parent- that was Charlie's job. So when I had become a single mother last year, I just decided that ignoring my problems would be better. And then I thought that she was my problem. And now she was still like a problem.

I didn't want to bond with my daughter that I had never bonded with- she was going to die soon anyway. So I got the morning newspaper that had been thrown in our driveway and looked through the paper for any new sales.

EPOV

I was surprised when Bella woke up at 6:30. That was very early for normal teenage girls to wake up at. I had to jump out the window very quickly so she wouldn't see me because I wasn't expecting it.

She got up, picked out her clothes, but didn't put any makeup on. It wasn't like she needed it. She had natural beauty.

Then she ran to the car and I saw her rub her hands in front of the heater. It was 40 degrees out, which was very cold to a human. She pulled out of the driveway and I followed discreetly behind her.

Where would she be going? Did she know no one would be up now? Why did she wake up so early? Did she know where she was going? She was new to this town after all.

She ended up going to the town square. I saw her stop outside the supermarket and answer her phone. I heard the whole conversation even though I was standing in the forest, hidden in the shadows 20 feet away from her. My hearing was just that good.

"Morning!" she said cheerily into the phone. She really was a morning person.

"Where are you?! I wake up this morning and you're not here!" her mom shouted into the phone.

"I'm in town. It's 7:00 in the morning. I expected you to still be sleeping. I was going to pick up some Pop Tarts from the super market."

"Pop Tarts?"

"The deliciously wonderful food that can be put in the toaster or be eaten plain. And is filled with sugary yumness."

"Honey, just pick me up some fruit." Renee said before hanging up. I saw Bella sigh and look so dejected. I understood that she wanted to bond with her mother. And it was simple- eat Pop Tarts together. Simple, fun, and as a human would say, 'tasty.'

I shuddered. All human food was disgusting to me.

And I was very angry at her mother. Here was this wonderful girl that wanted to bond with her and she just brushed her off. When I figured that they didn't have the best mother-daughter relationship I was wrong. They didn't even have one.

Now I was going to intervene. And I needed Alice's help.

_Preview:_

_I poured out half that bottle and rubbed it on my hands. I felt like Brandy, a friend of mine who was totally addicted to hand sanitizer. If I ever had to talk to Mike again then I would become addicted to hand sanitizer._

**So she met Mike...ew....**

**well i might update again today but i'm 98 percent positive i can update tomorrow :)**


	8. Hand Sanitizer

**Thanks to my reviewers: ****andrea-af91, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., suckerforavampire, evernightforcast, alilove**

**and I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: suckerforavampire for an awesome review and for being a constant reviewer! thanks!**

**and thank you to alilove i will TRY to post 2 chapters a day for longer chapters :) with of course, and interval in between to leave my wonderful readers at a cliffee! my favorites lol**

**This is kind of a filler but is important because it shows the relationship between Renee and Bella...or the lack of one :(**

_And I was very angry at her mother. Here was this wonderful girl that wanted to bond with her and she just brushed her off. When I figured that they didn't have the best mother-daughter relationship I was wrong. They didn't even have one. _

_Now I was going to intervene. And I needed Alice's help. _

Chapter 8: Hand Sanitizer

APOV

I 'saw' that Edward was going to call me. And I already knew what he wanted to talk to me about. Poor Bella!

So when he called me, I was totally prepared.

"Edward! I am a genius! Well, kind of." I already knew why Bella's mom was avoiding her. And I kind of understood even though I didn't approve.

"What's the plan?" Edward sounded exasperated. My plans were always eccentric.

"Well, we're going to replace Renee! With our parents!"

I heard Edward's breath hitch. I smirked. And it would be the perfect opportunity to hook the two up. And if Edward fell in love with her, then we could change Bella. Easy peasy lemon squeezey!

"Like it?" I asked. He was still quiet.

"Yeah… sure. What happened to the eccentric Alice that I've come to know and love? With her eccentric scary plans?"

"Well, if Renee doesn't want to bond with Bella then we can't help it. And I kind of understand." Oops, shouldn't have said that. Edward was going to be furious!

"You understand? How?! Bella is a wonderful girl! She's smart, funny, and…and spontaneous! Why would Renee not want to bond with her?!" Edward exploded into the phone. I held the phone away from my ear. He should know that I had sensitive ears!

"Don't talk about things you don't know Edward! And it's not that Bella's not a wonderful girl- it's something else. That I can't and won't tell you. That's Bella's job." And I hung up. How was he supposed to know that Bella was going to die and leave Renee alone? And that Bella was _a lot _like her father, Charlie, that Renee missed so much? Humans had such delicate emotions.

EPOV

Who wouldn't want to know Bella? And what was Bella keeping from me? It was really annoying that I couldn't read her mind! She was so interesting! The one girl that catches my eye and I can't read her mind. Just my luck.

BPOV

I opened the door to the store. The lights were still warming up because they were dull and the cashier was just checking in. I picked up the Pop Tarts-Cinnamon and Brown Sugar- and fruit for my mom- a fruit dish of watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes and blueberries.

"Hello?" I said. I wanted to let him know that I was there.

"Oh hello! What can I get for you?" I heard a male voice come from behind the counter.

"Can you just ring these up?" I headed towards the counter and there was a boy with blonde hair and baby blue eyes. His eyes bulged when he saw me. I just smiled. I wasn't looking for a relationship. But if I was, I would definitely give him a chance.

"Hey hot stuff. Anything else you'd like me to ring up?" he said suggestively.

I take the previous statement back. I would _never_ go out with a pig like him. And what was with the cheesy pick up line? It didn't even make sense.

"Nope." I said, popping the P. He looked surprised that someone actually rejected him. I was surprised that someone would actually go out with such a creep. And he smelled like onions and too much after shave. Gross.

He rang them up- my total was $5.37- and gave them to me in a bag. When I took the bag, his hand brushed against mine. I knew it was on purpose. And if I was creeped out before, I was even more creeped out now. His hand was clammy and sticky. I did not want to know where it was before.

I practically ran out of the store. I grabbed my bottle of hand sanitizer from the car and vigorously rubbed my hands. Normally, I hated the doctor smell of it. Now, I inhaled it deeply. Clean.

I decided that I needed more. My hand still felt dirty. I poured out half that bottle and rubbed it on my hands. I felt like Brandy, a friend of mine who was totally addicted to hand sanitizer. If I ever had to talk to Mike again then I _would _become addicted to hand sanitizer.

Then I backed up and sped out. I was pushing 100 by the time I got home. I knew that I would get caught someday, but that day had yet to come. And now was time for a very awkward breakfast with my mother. Joy.

"Hey mom! I'm home!" I shouted into the empty house. It was only 7:15. We were a family of early risers.

"Oh yeah, Esme, the Cullen's mom, is an interior designer. So you could probably hire her and then we can go to Seattle to get everything. I need a bag and all the school stuff."

"Don't worry honey. I'll go to Seattle. You hang out with the Cullens today." Still trying to push me away…

"Oh yeah, they wanted to meet you today." I forgot to tell her that yesterday. Oops.

"Oh, yes. Well, tell Esme- never mind, I'll call them. And she can come over here and you can talk with the Cullens. Are they in your grade?"

"Um… I'm not sure." I hadn't really gotten to know them.

"Well, find out. Shoo! Go talk to them!"

I got up without even being able to eat my Pop Tarts. I was going to take the Mercedes and Renee would be able to catch a ride with Esme but I heard a honk outside. I rushed to the window and saw my Porsche, Alice standing outside it.

I laughed and rushed down the stairs.

"Alice!" I called as if we'd been friends for years instead of just hours.

"Bella!" she yelled back and then hugged me. I was shocked by how cold her skin was. Just like her brothers.

Come to think of it, there was a lot they had in common. I noticed Alice's eyes were topaz. And I knew Edward's eyes were topaz- I had dreamt about them last night. They were all especially pale and beautiful. But that could just be genetics.

But I knew they weren't normal. They couldn't be. I had a lot of questions for them.

****IMPORTANT**

**okay after this it goes kinda fast. so if u want me to slow it down, tell me but i will have to rewrite the next few chapters in order to, making my updating slower. however, i feel it is a little fast but its up to you. someone told me that the 1st draft is usually the best...so i'm not sure**

**and then not quiet as important, still important:**

**PLS REVIEW!! :)**

**oh and still important, preview!!**

_"I'm glad. And now that you've heard my sob story, I want to hear yours." Bella stated. _

_"Wh-what do you mean?" Alice was scared now. Had Bella found it out already?_

_"I know your family's not normal. You're all so cold. Well, at least you and Edward. But you all have the same color eyes, pale skin, beautiful features. So, I assume you're all cold. And Rosalie and Jasper are the only ones related- I can tell by their facial features- so don't you dare blame it on genetics." Bella said._

**oh wow this is about 1500 words!!**


	9. Sob Story

**Thanks to my reviewers: His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., evernightforcast, Twilight4eternity, ILoveEdwardNotJacob, iloveTwilight--kk, Alltheabove, Diana Holland, andrea-af91, A Cullen twilighter, goldeneyedfanpire, Team-Edward3849**

**and ILL DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO Diana Holland!**

_Come to think of it, there was a lot they had in common. I noticed Alice's eyes were topaz. And I knew Edward's eyes were topaz- I had dreamt about them last night. They were all especially pale and beautiful. But that could just be genetics. _

_But I knew they weren't normal. They couldn't be. I had a lot of questions for them. _

Chapter 9: Sob story

APOV

"So Bella, how are you? How'd you sleep?" I asked, curious.

"Fine. But I barely slept." I knew she wasn't fine. She probably felt like crap because of her mother. But that was more so Jasper's forte, not mine.

"Aw that sucks. Bad dreams?"

"Yeah, something along those lines." She mumbled. She obviously didn't want to talk about it. Too bad. I was curious.

"Would talking about them make you feel better?" I asked. She was going to talk about them. She needed to know she could trust me. And I really wanted to be her friends. She was such a nice girl! She just needed a friend- me, a mother- Esme, and a father- Carlisle.

"Well, not really. But I'll tell you." She seemed eager to talk. See, she needed a friend!

"My father, Charlie, he was a wonderful man. So happy, energetic, and fun. He was my mom and my dad combined because my mom was never much of a mom. I could tell she loved him dearly though, so she'd at least try to bond with me. But last year, when I was 15, I was driving because they insisted. And I had my permit, so it wasn't like I was a maniac on the loose. I was following behind him to the park where we were going to go skating. And then a truck, a gasoline truck, ra-ran into him." she was sobbing by now. If I could cry, I knew I would be. We had reached our house by now but she continued her story. And I knew that the whole family would be listening to this heart breaking story.

"I was right behind him when they collided. Both instantly died. They cars burst into flames and I stepped out, which was stupid of me. But that was my father! I didn't want to believe that he was dead. I could smell the gas and the stench of burning flesh. I felt the heat of the flames and heard the screams of the other drivers. I also heard the sirens but I didn't care. I was crawling, trying to see if by some luck, he'd be alive. I was praying to God that he would. I wasn't paying attention to anything else. And then I saw a burning body. It was on flames and already charred. I froze and passed out. When I woke up in the hospital, I had cut my leg open. I had crawled over a jagged piece of glass. But I hadn't felt any pain except that of my dead father. I wanted to die. We didn't even have the body to bury!"

I wrapped my arms around her. The poor girl!

"Renee was heartbroken and so was I. But she was even more controlling than normal. She turned me into a zombie. She ignored me more than often too. She was always pushing me away. But now I know we have to bond. We need to because—" she stopped. She still didn't want to tell me the end part that I already knew. But she didn't want pity. I could see that.

"Don't worry Bella. I'll be your friend. I'll be the person you can talk to, tell secrets to, cry on the shoulder of. Carlisle and Esme, they can be your parents too. I'm more than willing to share. And they already love you. Don't worry. It'll be okay." I tried soothing her. So much pain. The death of her father, the pain of being ignored by her mother.

"Bella, your mother loves you. She just doesn't know how to connect with you. But never doubt that she loves you." She was silent and I knew that she doubted it.

BPOV

I was sick of tears and sympathy. But I was grateful for Alice. I had never been able to tell anyone. My mom didn't want to hear it. Neither did I. But I needed to let it out. My friends didn't want to hear it- they were all ditzy idiots who only cared about their hair. So I was left to suffer alone.

JPOV

I could hear Alice and Bella talking in the Porsche. Esme was dry sobbing and Carlisle had his arm around her. Even Rosalie looked sad. Emmett was dry sobbing too. He looked intimidating but he really was a big teddy bear. Edward was stiff and I felt hate radiating off every fiber of his being.

I couldn't believe that one person could feel so many emotions at once. Pain, hurt, anger, grief, relief, thankfulness, and happiness. I could see why she was in pain, why she was hurt, mad and sad. But I couldn't understand why she was thankful, happy or relieved. Now I saw what Edward meant when he said she was bottle of mysteries.

"She's happy, thankful, and relieved because she has a friends. Someone to talk to. Someone who cares." Edward said. I stared at him. Could he read that girl's mind? Or did he just understand her really well?

"No, I can't read her mind. I wish I could. But Alice understands her and she's thinking about it. And it makes sense. She hasn't had a real friend. But she doesn't want pity. And for the record, we didn't hear any of it."

Everyone nodded but I could tell that Esme was in pain because of it. She already saw Bella as her own daughter. So much pain, suffering and grief! I had to get out of there.

"I'm going to go." Everyone nodded in understanding. But what I heard next had me frozen.

**(Was going to stop here but….)**

"So Alice. How'd the Porsche drive?" Bella asked.

How could she be so…so happy so soon? She wasn't happy exactly, but she had brought the conversation to a lighter topic. And she already felt better. She was such a easy child- easy to get along with, easy to comfort- how could anyone not like her?

Alice's laugh rang through the car. I could tell she was confused and really didn't want to laugh- she wanted to cry with and for Bella- but she stayed strong.

"I loved it!"

"I'm glad. And now that you've heard my sob story, I want to hear yours." Bella stated.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Alice was scared now. Had Bella found it out already?

"I know your family's not normal. You're all so cold. Well, at least you and Edward. But you all have the same color eyes, pale skin, beautiful features. So, I assume you're all cold. And Rosalie and Jasper are the only ones related- I can tell by their facial features- so don't you dare blame it on genetics." Bella said. And I knew that she wasn't going to give up until she got an answer.

_Preview:_

"_Like I said in the park yesterday. I'm going to die someday." She stated matter-of-factly. "Mine will just be sooner than others.,."_

**So you guys voted for the fast pace! so here you go! i'm going to review again today (yay!) but first i'm going to let this chapter sink in lol **

**sadly, i wont b able to update tomorrow :(**

**i have a chorus concert...but if i get alot of reviews, then i might be able to! *hint hint wink wink**

**so pls review :)**

**and thanks so much to those of you who have been reviewing steadily, making me happy :) and a happy writer means happy readers :)**


	10. To tell or not to tell?

**Thanks to my reviewers: IloveEdwardNotJacob, Seraphiel13579, Waterdrop129, Diana Holland**

**im not going to dedicate this chapter to anyone because i feel i didnt get enough reviews. also, ALOT of ppl have me on story alert/ author alert, fave story, fave author yet none of them are reviewing!!!**

**but, enjoy the chapter that i slaved over while i was on my cruise :)**

"_I know your family's not normal. You're all so cold. Well, at least you and Edward. But you all have the same color eyes, pale skin, beautiful features. So, I assume you're all cold. And Rosalie and Jasper are the only ones related- I can tell by their facial features- so don't you dare blame it on genetics." Bella said. And I knew that she wasn't going to give up until she got an answer._

Chapter 10: To tell or not to Tell?

APOV

Crap. I didn't even see that coming because I was absorbed in Bella's story and it was a last minute decision.

"Um…. We have a really bad cold?" it was a crappy lie.

"Right." Bella said that made it so obvious that she didn't believe me.

"Well Bella. Let's go inside with my family. We need to talk." She would find out sooner or later.

And I knew by the set of her mouth that she wouldn't leave until she got an answer.

I led her into the house where the whole family was waiting for us. It was tense and awkward.

Carlisle POV

Too tell or not to tell?

By telling her, we could endanger her life if the Volturi ever found out. I felt Edward stiffen beside me. Hm… maybe there was something more than friendship in that relationship.

Oh yes, back to the question. She deserved to know the truth if she was going to be spending time with us. Which I hoped she would- she really was a nice girl who just needed someone who cared. Especially after her father's death and being stuck with her mother. And I'd be more than happy to take her in as a daughter.

But I would never want to be the cause of her death. Or the cause of her transformation into the living dead…

Rosalie POV

Alice better not tell or else she'd be in big trouble. I could care less about that bratty little girl. She only wanted attention. And she could put the whole family at risk because of her knowledge and big mouth.

She wasn't even that pretty. What did Edward see in her? Why didn't he want me? I mean, I was prettier than her. Anyone could see that. This girl was going to cause the ruin of our family.

_That was a charming sob story but you'll never get closer to my family. Not if I can help_ I thought towards her, even though I knew she couldn't read my mind. But Edward could. Crap.

Esme POV

That poor girl! Of course I already considered her as one of my own children! She was so sweet and caring, all she needed was someone who cared after her. But I wouldn't want to put her life in danger because of the Volturi. If they found out we told her or they found out she knew, we would all be in grave danger. And she was only a mere human. So easily hurt and killed.

But I think we should tell her. She deserves to know. I just hope that doesn't change the way she looks at us…

JPOV

She did deserve to know. Now I only felt curiosity coming off her. There were small amounts of pain and anguish, but so small that they barely affected me. How did she change her emotions so easily? Most people just faked it, but she truly felt it. She was very interesting.

But I just hoped that she didn't run away, screaming. Because I knew that would break Edward's and Alice's hearts.

EPOV

She had the right to know. Especially if I did end up in a relationship with her. _It's too soon! You just met her yesterday! And she definitely wouldn't go out with you after she finds out what you are!_

And I knew she would. Alice saw Carlisle explaining it more. But her reaction was still fuzzy. I was anxious to see how the events would unfold.

Emmett POV

Rosalie was fuming. Pissed. I knew she was mad at Bella but I didn't see why. And if the Volturi did come, we could fight them off. So what if no one had ever been able to? There's a first time for everything.

Bella should know. I already saw her as a little sister. Vulnerable. Young. Cute. And I was her big brother, her protector.

APOV

I knew that we would end up telling Bella, Rosalie would be pissed, but that was all I saw. What would her reaction? I really hoped she wouldn't run away, screaming. That would be embarrassing on both sides.

BPOV

I knew they were going to tell me. I just wasn't sure whether or not I really wanted to know. I mean, what if they were dangerous? Or not human?

_Bella, get a grip! Of course they're human!_

_But they really aren't normal…._

_Even if they are….weird and whatever they are, stay calm. They are still normal. In a way. As long as they won't kill you then you will be polite and stay with them_ I told myself.

And I really liked them. They were nice, Emmett was already like a big brother and Alice was like a big sister. Esme and Carlisle could easily be parents- they were so caring and compassionate. And Edward… I didn't know about him. I didn't want to hurt him with my death in 6 months. Then again, just by being his friend and his family's friend, I could, would, hurt them. But then again, as long as I didn't go out with any of them- cough cough, Edward- then I'd be fine.

I braced myself for their answer.

EPOV

"Bella. You're right. And you have a right to know. But you should know that this could put your life in danger." Carlisle said calmly.

Bella surprised me by looking excited and laughing. Did she get a kick out of near-death experiences?

"Bella? Are you okay? Most people don't react that way…" I asked. What was wrong with this girl?

"Like I said in the park yesterday. I'm going to die someday." She stated matter-of-factly. "Mine will just be sooner than others.,." she mumbled under her breath. She probably thought I didn't hear her. But I did. What did she mean? Alice was suddenly blocking her thoughts again. Something was up…

"Okay, well I don't want to scare you Bella. Are you sure you want to hear this?" Carlisle asked. He didn't want her running away either.

"Well, it's not like I don't have an idea as to what you are. I mean, pale, cold skin, same color eyes, insanely beautiful. It's not like you're vampires or anything."

**oh hahaha!! so if u review, i'll update tomorrow even though i have a chorus concert. if u dont, then i'll go along with my original plan and update friday. ur choice :)**

**so, PLS UPDATE!!**


	11. Life Threatening

**OMG Thanks so much everyone!! i got 13 reviews! 13!! **

**so thanks to my reviewers: ****Zara Raine, Alltheabove, FRK921, 4everbellaxedward, waterdrop129, IloveEdwardNotJacob, Twilite addict, donut patrol, Lil Miss Rosalie, Hello Apple , Jnut, Diana Holland, evernightforcast**

**and for dedications: **

**I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE THE LAST CHAPTER, CHAPTER 10, TO FRK921 for reviewing for just about every chapter!! and they were all so nice! thank you!!**

**and I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO evernightforcast for constantly reviewing, with positive, nice, sweet, and 'showing' that she really does like my story!! thank you so much evernightforcast!!**

"_Okay, well I don't want to scare you Bella. Are you sure you want to hear this?" Carlisle asked. He didn't want her running away either. _

"_Well, it's not like I don't have an idea as to what you are. I mean, pale, cold skin, same color eyes, insanely beautiful. It's not like you're vampires or anything."_

**Chapter 11: Life threatening?**

EPOV

"Well, it's not like I don't have an idea as to what you are. I mean, pale, cold skin, same color eyes, insanely beautiful. It's not like you're vampires or anything."

She was met with silence. Her eyes widened. Then she smiled widely. An exited glint came into her eyes. What was wrong with this girl?! I was truly worried now. She just found out we were vampires and she smiles. That just drew me in more. She was just so interesting!

BPOV

Wow. They were vampires? Did they mean they drank blood? I smiled. Perfect. They'd be my life threatening experience.

"Pop Tarts anyone?"

"No, we don't eat." Carlisle said. I looked up at him. So they _did_ drink blood.

"Then what _do_ you eat?"

"I think you know the answer to that." The flashy blonde, Rosalie, spat at me.

"Merely checking. Oh, Esme, my mom wants to meet with you to see if you design our house. She was supposed to come here, but she was…..she was being Renee-ish."

JPOV

How could she be so calm? Normal people would scream and run. But she acted as if we just told her it was raining outside. Not normal.

BPOV

"Okay, now that I know what you are, spill. Do you sleep in coffins? Why can you come out during the day? Why aren't you attacking me now? How long have you been vampires? Does gar—"

"Why would we tell you that?" Rosalie asked. What was her problem?

I shrugged. "Well, I'm just curious. And I could always look it up on the internet, but that would take more time than to just ask you guys. Why do you care? It's not like I'm going to tell anyone. Who would I tell?"

"Your mom, the press, your friends, the people at zoos, and then that would create a huge mess because the Volturi would become involved-"

"My mom? I don't tell my mom anything. The press? Why would I? I don't need the money and it's like our little secret. My friends? I don't have any real friends that truly like me for me. And you guys already know the secret, seeing as how you are the secret. I'm just interested. Is that a crime?"

"No. I'd be interested too." Carlisle chimed in. I smiled at him. Finally someone with a rational response!

"No we don't sleep, because there isn't sun, we learned restraint and we drink animal blood, differs for everyone and no, garlic doesn't affect us." Edward said, answering all my questions in order.

"What do you mean by 'you drink animal blood?'"

"Well, instead of hunting humans we hunt animals." Alice said.

"Why?" maybe they weren't so life threatening after all.

"Because we don't want to be monsters. But sometimes some of us fall off the wagon." Edward explained.

Fall off the wagon? As in…drink human blood? Maybe they were life threatening after all.

"So, you can drink human blood right?" Just to be sure.

"Yes. We are still dangerous." Edward said through narrowed eyes, suspicious.

"So how long have you been a vampire Edward?"

"Awhile." Was that all he was going to answer me.

"I've been a human for awhile. That doesn't tell you anything."

"You just turned 16." Wow. How'd he know that?

"How'd you know that? Or are you really a stalker? And if you are a stalker then are you also schizophrenic? Alice seems to be right a lot."

EPOV

She had no idea how right Alice could be.

"No, I am not a stalker. But, I can read people's minds. Except yours. You're a mystery." I said reluctantly, wishing it wasn't true. I ached to be able to read her mind. How she was reacting to this.

"Really? Does anyone else have super powers." I grimaced. She thought of us as heroes. But we weren't. Just her very scent, swirling around the room was making me drunk.

"Alice can see the future. And Jasper can change people's emotions."

"Hm…." We were interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

"Hold on." She said then answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Bella?! Where are you?"

"I'm at the Cullen's house. And don't worry, Esme's on her way."

"Ok bye." And she hung up. Bella looked hurt broken but she hid it well.

"I've got to go." she lied casually to them. She didn't know we had heard her whole conversation. Well, I'd put a change to that.

"Bella, did you know that vampires have super hearing? We can hear everything and anything."

She looked shocked. Then she shook her head and proceeded to leave, throwing a "bye" behind her. I ran in front of the door. Which wasn't that smart of a move.

I was right in front of her and her intoxicating scent. I had to close my eyes and grip the door frame from attacking her right there and then.

"Umm Edward." She said. I knew she wanted to go. But I couldn't let her. I needed to know more about her. We told her about us; now we wanted to know about her.

"Bella, you don't have to go. Renee doesn't know what she's missing out on. You're a wonderful person and I'm intoxicated by your very presence. I want to know more about you." I put my feelings on the line. She must know that I was practically in love with her by now. I heard her heart stutter for the first time.

She looked up into my topaz eyes, doubtful. But sincerity had rung through every word I said. And she saw that.

"Let's go to the park. We can play twenty questions." She said finally. I realized I had been holding my breath and let it out.

I stepped away from the door and opened it for her. She smirked.

"Such a gentleman."

"That's what happens when you are born in 1901."

"Really? See, you should have said that before instead of 'a while.'" I laughed.

I opened the passenger door for her. She smiled again. She obviously wasn't used to being treated like a lady.

Alice wasn't coming so I was going to be left alone with Bella in the small space of her car. Not a good idea. I gritted my teeth.

_You can do this Edward. You can do this. At least, you better be able to._

**ok so now im in a time cruch. crap. ive got to change, do makeup, log off, find my shoes, grab a bite to eat, then run!!**

**so thanks so much for reviewing!!**

**and pls, PLS REVIEW!!**

**oh preview: **

_"Why are you smiling?"_

_"Because you're a fast driver like me." she said. I looked at the speedometer. It was on 120. She drove this fast? She could get hurt! Or die!_

_I frowned. "You shouldn't drive this fast. You could die."_

_She grimaced. I had a feeling she wasn't telling me something._

**oh and alot of you are asking when do the cullens find out bellas secret? well, i guess this is wear i slow down. because they dont find out until AFTER the first day of school which is 2 chapters. so... srry bt dont worry!! its actually pretty sweet when he confronts her...kinda...you'll see!**


	12. Why not?

**OMG I GOT TO SEE THE TWILIGHT MOVIE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**YAY!!!!!!!!**

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**my reviewers: A Cullen twilighter, TopazEyesx77, twilightlady189, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., All the Pretty Horses, DontMakeThemLikeEdwardAnymore, jnut, oceanlover14, FRK921, IloveEdwardNotJacob, Alltheabove, evernightforcast, Zynthia, Hersheybear, alilove, igi18, suckerforavampire**

**i love you all!! thank you soo much!!**

**And i dedicate this chapter to: All the Pretty Horses for reviewing for practically every chapter with excitement!! thanks so much!!**

Alice wasn't coming so I was going to be left alone with Bella in the small space of her car. Not a good idea. I gritted my teeth.

_You can do this Edward. You can do this. At least, you better be able to._

Chapter 12: Why not?

BPOV

I was in a car with Edward, the most gorgeous god-like creature ever.

"So, what perks do you vampires have?" I wanted to know more about him and his family. But mostly him.

"We have super hearing, super speed, super strength and sight. And we live forever. That's about it."

Living forever? Now that my life was about to end, I would love to be able to live forever. I looked out the window. Living for eternity?

EPOV

She became silent. Was it something I said? Did I offend her? At least her scent was becoming more bearable. It was like I was becoming desensitized.

"Did I frighten you?"

"No, I was just thinking what it would be like to live forever." She said quietly. I heard the sadness in her voice.

"It's not that great. Every single pain that you've ever had….you remember it for eternity." She was silent again.

"How does one get changed into vampire?" I didn't want to tell her that.

"It's a very..painful process." That was all I was going to tell her. Although I already ached to change her so she could be by my side forever.

_Stop Edward! You can't think like that! _

She looked down. She knew I wasn't going to say more on the subject. And once again she smiled, one of those smiles that would arouse so many questions in me.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because you're a fast driver like me." she said. I looked at the speedometer. It was on 120. She drove this fast? She could get hurt! Or die!

I frowned. "You shouldn't drive this fast. You could die."

She grimaced. I had a feeling she wasn't telling me something.

"Rosalie said something about the Volturi. Who are they?" of course she caught that. Ever so observant.

"They're like the vampire royal. They make sure that humans like yourself don't find out our secret."

"Oh, so I'm special because I know?"

"Yes, you're very special." But she was special for more reasons than she thought. She was gorgeous, intelligent, modest, caring, courageous, the list still went on and on.

We arrived at the park then. Before the car had even stopped she was out and running. Did she want to escape me that quickly?

"Come on slowpoke!" she shouted. I smiled at the irony. I could easily outrun her. Super speed, remember?

So I stopped the car and was suddenly behind her. "Still think I'm slow?" I whispered in her ear. I felt her shudder beneath me. Then she turned around and faced me. Our lips were almost touching.

"Yes. I still think you're very slow." She said, her lips almost moving against mine. It took all my control not to kill her then. Her warm, sweet breath brushing across my face. So I had no control to stop myself from pressing my lips to hers.

She froze at first before she responded. Her lips were so sweet! I pulled away before I did anything else stupid.

"I'm sor—" she cut me off by placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"You finally caught on." She whispered. Did that mean she wanted me to kiss her? Was she attracted to me too?

She giggled at my face before pulling free and running towards the pier again. I ran after her at human pace- what did she mean? And why was she running?

BPOV

When he kissed me, I was definitely in 7th heaven. He felt so good against my lips. And the taste…

To stop myself from kissing him senseless, I ran off towards the pier, laughing. And I was confused. Did I want to start a relationship with him? He would remember it forever… And I had only known him for one day. But the chemistry between us…

I sat at the edge on my stomach, my arms dangling over and into the water.

"Bella!" Edward called. I looked up and giggled. He looked so confused.

"Why did you run?"

"Why not? It's people like you that are always like 'why this why that?' but we need more people who are like, Why not?"

He smiled at that. He laid down next to me and put his mouth against my ear. "So if I asked you to kiss me again, you would?"

I laughed. "Why not." And I pressed my lips against his again. I felt him smile against me. I put my arms around his neck and ran them through his bronze hair. But I lost my balance because half my body was twisted upward and the other was flat on the ground the other way. I fell into the lake with a big splash that was totally unexpected.

Edward burst out laughing and I tried to glare at him. But I ended up laughing with him. His laugh was so infectious! But then I smirked and grabbed his hand. I tugged and he came tumbling in after me.

His face was so stunned I burst out laughing again. Then he splashed me so just had to splash him back. He smirked then dove under. I couldn't see him even though the water was fairly clear. I started to panic. Where was he?

Then something grabbed my legs and pulled me under before I could scream. I opened my eyes and saw that it was Edward. He pressed his lips to mine and I eagerly responded. But I was running out of air. I was about to start swimming up but by then we had already broken the surface.

"Wow Edward. You can really hold your breath for a long time." I commented. He could swim under, kiss me, then come up and not be gasping for air? Must be some vampire perk her forgot to tell me about.

"Well, us vampires technically don't need to breathe." He whispered in my ear. I shivered again.

He smirked and pulled away. He hopped out of the water and onto the pier- something that would be impossible for a human to do. He reached down and grabbed my arm, gently pulling me up.

"It somehow seems that we always end up in the lake." He said.

"Well, this time it was your fault." I said as we walked to the car.

"Oh really? How so?" he raised an eyebrow.

"It was your kissing expertise. And last time you didn't need to jump in after me. It was your choice." I pointed out. And it was.

"And last time, I carried you to the car with you kicking and screaming." He said. And I knew what he was going to do.

"Edward Cullen! Don't you dare!" but it was too late. He already had picked me up bridal style again.

"Put me down! Edward Cullen you listen to me!" he just laughed and then placed me gently down in the car, putting on my seatbelt for me.

He started the car and the heat blasted out. I put my hands in front of it and felt my fingers begin to defrost.

"We need to start bringing towels every time we go to the park."

**Awww how sweet!!!**

**and PLS PLS REVIEW!!!**

**preview: **

"She'll die eventually, I know that Alice. But it's not like that day's going to be anytime in the near future. If that's what you're worried about. You're blocking me again."

"Something like that."

**oh haha hes soo off!! lol **

**so pls review!!**


	13. Bella's Little Secret

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**my reviewers: **

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"_Put me down! Edward Cullen you listen to me!" he just laughed and then placed me gently down in the car, putting on my seatbelt for me. _

_He started the car and the heat blasted out. I put my hands in front of it and felt my fingers begin to defrost. _

"_We need to start bringing towels every time we go to the park." _

Chapter 13: Bella's Little Secret

BPOV

When we arrived at his house, he carried me inside, even though I protested.

He set me down once we got inside his house. Alice was standing there, waiting.

"Oh my god Bella! That's a Gucci shirt! It's totally ruined now!" she moaned. I could have cared less.

"Point?" I asked.

"You can't ruin a perfectly good shirt like that! OMG! I have another shirt you can wear, but that shirt is far gone. Poor thing!" Alice wailed. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Why was she talking to the shirt like that? It was just a shirt.

"Um… okay?"

"Don't feel weird Bella. Alice is a shopaholic." Edward said. Ohh… that explained a lot.

"Haha okay. I hate shopping so don't bother dragging me to the mall Alice." I said. Alice was shaking her head, disgusted.

"How can you hate shopping? The wonderful display of clothing and the—"

"Alice-Bella's freezing. Bella, follow Alice upstairs and she'll bring you some clothes to change into." Edward said. And he was right. I was freezing.

Alice took my hand and pulled me up the two flights of stairs up to her room. When she showed me her closet, my mouth dropped.

"How can you have that many clothes Alice?" she gave the word 'shopaholic' a new meaning.

She shrugged. "Easy. You go to the mall and shop. And buy a lot." I just shook my head.

"Here Bella. This will look good on you." She gave me a pair of dark skinny jeans and a long sleeved shirt. Then we went to a whole other closet where she had shoes galore. She had a serious shopping fetish.

"Here you go." She handed me a pair of boots exactly the same as the ones I was wearing. Then she pulled me to her dresser and handed me the underclothes. I wasn't sure if we were the same size so I was going to protest but she stopped me.

"I saw this coming. So I got your size." She said. I blushed scarlet.

She pointed me to her bathroom and I rushed in. I changed quickly and put my hair into a bun. I balled up my clothes and stepped out. Alice took my clothes and then disappeared with them.

"Um… what did you do with my clothes?" I asked when she came back.

"I threw them away. They were gonners." I gasped. That was my favorite scarf!

"Alice! That was my favorite scarf!" I wailed. I had just gotten it yesterday and I liked it best of all the ones my mom had ordered for me.

She smirked. "I know. So we can go to the mall on Friday and get you another."

And I knew she had me. Was the scarf worth it? Hm... Shopping with Alice couldn't be that bad could it?

"Fine." I grumbled and she smiled wider if that was even possible.

"So Bella. How was your trip to the park?" I blushed. Did she 'see' what Edward and I ended up doing?

"Fine." I squeaked out, embarrassed.

"Mmmh… I'm sure it was." Was all Alice said before leading me downstairs. What was that supposed to mean?

EPOV

Alice went upstairs with Bella while I ran up to my room to change. But when I got there, Emmett was on my bed.

"Emmett! Get out of my room!"

"Calm down little bro. I just wanted to point out a few things."

"What?" I spat out. He could be such a pain in the ass sometimes.

"I'm just going to tell you a few things about the birds and bees." He burst out laughing then.

"Emmett! Out!" We all knew that it wasn't possible for anything to happen. **(A/N: Haha he's so wrong!**) And it wasn't going to happen. I had strong beliefs about waiting until marriage. And it wasn't like Bella liked me like that, right? Hold on….how'd he know?

I growled. I should have known. Alice.

Emmett left, still laughing. He could be so immature some times.

Then I heard the conversation that the girl's were having below.

"Bella, have you told Edward yet?" Alice whispered to Bella. She should know that I could hear her. _This is for you Edward!_ She said in her thoughts.

I'd have to thank her for this later.

"Wh-what do you mean Alice?" What did she mean?

"Well, you know what I'm talking about. I _saw_ it. So, are you going to tell him?" Alice pressed.

Bella stayed quiet. Was she keeping something from me? I felt a surge of anger. I had shared with her my family's secret and she was keeping a secret from me too? I regretted putting my family on the line.

_But then again Edward, you still haven't told her all your secrets. Like when you went off on your own? You weren't exactly the most wonderful person then. And you haven't shown her your temper. _My rational side reminded me. I knew she'd tell me in due time.

"I'll tell him eventually Alice. I just don't want pity. I don't want to be looked at like I'm some… some poor child who is so fragile." She said finally. I really wanted to know what she was talking about now.

"Thanks for the clothes Alice, but I've got to go. Tell your brother I said bye." And she walked out the door. I heard the hum of her Porsche as it started up and she sped away.

I ran down the stairs to see Alice waiting for me.

"What?" I asked irritated. I wanted to go hunting.

"I know you like her, but be careful. Don't let yourself fall too deeply in love with her unless you're willing to change her."

I tensed. I didn't want to damn Bella with this type of life. "It's for your own good Edward. I love her already. But, she is human." Alice pointed out.

"She'll die eventually, I know that Alice. But it's not like that day's going to be anytime in the near future. If that's what you're worried about. You're blocking me again."

"Something like that." And then she walked away. I was really confused. What did she mean? I bet it had something to do with the secret Bella was keeping. And I was going to find out, sooner than later.

**A/N: Haha he's a man on a mission!**

**BAD NEWS:**

**you guys are familiar with midterms right? **

**so, next week is the LAST week i can update for every day. then on saturday through well thursday i wont. aka the 13-17. **

**Again, December 13-17 i will NOT be able to update**

**im soo sorry but its midterms :(**

**anyway, thx so much for reviewing and for those wondering when the cullens find out its...chapter 16!!**

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	14. First Day Part I

**Thanks to my reviewers:** **ScarletteVamp, suckerforavampire, Mimi-Love-4ever, igi18, rocnrollperson, donut patrol, twilite addict, oceanlover14, FRK921, TopazEyesx77, Diana Holland, IloveEdwardNotJacob, DontMakeThemLikeEdwardAnymore, Alltheabove, Zynthia, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes, All The Pretty Horses, andrea-af91, A Cullen twilighter, evernightforcast, Hersheybear, alilove, Zara Raine**

**and I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: aamayzaintwilight2!! thanks so much for your support!!**

_"I know you like her, but be careful. Don't let yourself fall too deeply in love with her unless you're willing to change her."_

_I tensed. I didn't want to damn Bella with this type of life. "It's for your own good Edward. I love her already. But, she is human." Alice pointed out._

_"She'll die eventually, I know that Alice. But it's not like that day's going to be anytime in the near future. If that's what you're worried about. You're blocking me again."_

_"Something like that." And then she walked away. I was really confused. What did she mean? I bet it had something to do with the secret Bella was keeping. And I was going to find out, sooner than later._

Chapter 14: First Day Part I

BPOV

When I got home I was stunned. Our hose was already half way completed. There were couches, chairs, tables, even a plasma TV.

I walked into my room and I had a bed, a dresser, and my clothes were hung up. I also had a desk, a bean bag chair, curtains, and a bookshelf. I smiled. I couldn't wait to fill it with all my favorite books. On my desk, my laptop was plugged in but there were also some notebooks.

On them a sticky note said: Bella, these are what you need for school. Your backpack is under your desk, Love Esme. I smiled. She was such a sweet and caring woman.

I climbed into bed and fell asleep, not even bothering to change. I was too tired.

Esme POV

I had worked with Renee for the day and we had gotten a lot done. All we had left was the kitchen, dining room, and guest rooms.

But Renee had really surprised me. I was expecting someone… distant and cold. But she was nice but a bit restrained. I wondered what she had against Bella.

EPOV

When Esme got home, she was thinking about Renee. She thought she was a nice lady. I thought differently. If she was so mean to her daughter, her wonderful daughter, how could she be a nice lady?

I had just hunted, stopping by the house to greet Esme before going to Bella's house. She was sleeping in a bed this time, her hand curled under her head. She was quiet so I had either missed her sleep talking or it had yet to come.

"Park…watermelon…daddy…." She mumbled incoherently. What were those words supposed to mean? Had she gone to park with her dad to eat watermelon?

"Edward." She said clearly. I looked closer to her sleeping figure. Was she really sleeping? "Edward."

I smiled. She was dreaming about me. But the feeling that coursed through my body was unnerving. I couldn't name it. It was like relief from pain that I didn't know I had. I felt safe. And warm. And loved.

I gave up trying to deny it. I was in love with Bella and her infectious laughter, her smile that could brighten my day, and her spontaneous nature that could surely bring a smile to your face.

BPOV

I dreamt about my father again. We were in the park eating watermelon, spitting the seeds at random people passing by. It was actually very fun. And then I dreamed of Edward. And his bronze hair, topaz eyes, perfectly chiseled face. I felt like I'd always be safe in his arms, like he'd always protect me.

I awoke with a jolt. Was I falling in love Edward? It had only been two days… but I felt like I'd known him forever and that he could protect me. But I only had 6 months left. 6 months.

I looked at the clock. 6:15. I decided to get up now even though school didn't start until 8. I always woke up early because my father used to but also because my bad dreams would always wake me up. I wondered what it would feel like to sleep in Edward's arms, with the feeling of being safe…

I shook that thought out of my head and got up to take a shower. I let the warm water cascade down my back and unknot the muscles in back.

By the time I was dressed, it was 7. I was wearing boots again and I had dried my hair with the hair dryer. It was a chilly 43 degrees out and I didn't want to step outside with wet hair.

I went into the kitchen to find it had yet to be decorated. I looked around for my Pop Tarts. Where were they? I found them on the kitchen table and gratefully bit into one. I was starving. Come to think of it…I hadn't eaten dinner last night. But the dreams about Charlie were messing with my appetite.

EPOV

She woke up early again- and hour and a half before school even started. Should I pick her up? Or would she rather drive herself to school? I knew the rumors that would start at school if I did pick her up. Would she care about rumors? They'd be Jessica and Lauren's fault. The ever elusive Edward Cullen picking up Bella for school. Which would lead to suspicions whether or not we were dating. Were we? We had a shared a few kisses…

I ran home and quickly showered. I changed into a collared shirt and jeans. It was only 7. Ugh… for one lives forever, 50 minutes went by really slowly. Because in 50 minutes, I'd be at school and with Bella.

BPOV

40 minutes left until I had to go to school. I didn't know what to do with those 40 minutes. I could read…. But what? I had left all my books in my room in Phoenix… my mom was still sleeping and she would be until 8, when school started. Which meant I had time to go out. I decided to go over to the Cullen's house. It wasn't like they slept.

APOV

I was lying in Jasper's arms until school started when I saw a vision of Bella coming over. That would be something to do before school- hang out before school. And she really wasn't like normal teens- she actually woke up early. Really early.

"Bella's coming over in 3 minutes." I said, knowing that my family could hear me.

I heard Emmett's squeal of excitement- he could be such a girl sometimes, Rosalie's growl of anger, and Esme and Carlisle's getting up from bed to greet their new daughter. I bet that Edward was smiling. And Jasper didn't really care. But he know she made me happy, so what made me happy made him happy. I leaned up to kiss him just as the doorbell rang. Everyone-except Rosalie- jumped up and raced to the door to open it.

**IMPORTANT!!!**

**i just finished chapter 20 and it was 1600 words **

**so, i CAN make my chapters longer (yay!!) but that would make my updates every other dayish **

**i normally do my chapters around 1000 words so then i can update daily becuase they are kind of short **

**but if i do them around 1500-2000 words that could be two chapters so my updates would be less often since its only one chapter **

**so tell me what you want: **

**1- longer chapters, fewer updates**

**2- same length as now- daily updates**

**REMINDER: **

**i will NOT be able to update the week of the 13-18!!! MIDTERMS!! suck... **

**and thx so much for reading dont 4get to review!!!!!**

**-sweet16994**


	15. First Day Part II

**Thanks to my reviewers- you know who you are!!**

**(it's not that i'm lazy- i like listing you, but i have ALOT of hw with midterms coming up and i want to be able to update as often as possible in as little time as possible)**

**I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO ****Crystallized Hope**!!

**IMPORTANT A/N AT BOTTOM!!**

I heard Emmett's squeal of excitement- he could be such a girl sometimes, Rosalie's growl of anger, and Esme and Carlisle's getting up from bed to greet their new daughter. I bet that Edward was smiling. And Jasper didn't really care. But he know she made me happy, so what made me happy made him happy. I leaned up to kiss him just as the doorbell rang. Everyone-except Rosalie- jumped up and raced to the door to open it.

Chapter 15: First Day Part II

EPOV

Alice had beat us all downstairs and opened the door to a smiling Bella. I involuntary smiled.

She looked gorgeous wearing jeans and a light blue jacket over a long sleeved black shirt. She was wearing boots again and her hair was dry. She wore no makeup because she didn't need to. But her scent barely affected me because I was desensitized.

"Morning! I woke up too early and was bored, so I decided to come over here. Since, you know, you don't sleep." She smirked when she said that. Everyone laughed; I was amazed that she could make a joke out of what we were, that she really didn't care.

"Come on in Bella! I know exactly what we're going to do." Alice said. She was planning on giving Bella a make over. As if she needed one.

Bella looked weary. "And what exactly is this plan?"

"Bella Barbie!" Alice squealed, then she dragged Bella up the stairs.

Upstairs, I heard Alice pushing Bella into a chair, ignoring her protests. "Stay still Bella!"

30 minutes later, Bella came down the stairs, looking even more beautiful if that was possible. She was wearing very light and natural makeup. Her hair fell in soft curls to the small of her back.

"Alice, if you ever do that again, I swear I'm never coming back!" Bella said to Alice. Alice rolled her eyes; she knew Bella would always come back, no matter the amount of makeovers she was given.

"You look beautiful." I said to Bella. She blushed scarlet and I wondered how I didn't notice that earlier. Note self: Make Bella blush more often.

"Morning Bella." Jasper said in his calm voice. She looked up. "Morning Jasper. How was your night?"

"Good. As always." Jasper smiled. Images of last night came into his head.

"Jasper!" I hissed. He froze then mouthed sorry to me. I did not need to see my sister doing that.

"Oh, would you look at the time? I've got to go." Bella said. She obviously didn't want to fall into the evil clutches of my sister again.

"Oh oh can I drive your car?" Alice asked. I smiled, shaking my head.

"No. But you can tomorrow." Bella said. Ahh... it was punishment for the makeover.

Alice pouted but Bella just smirked, standing her ground. "Fine." Alice conceded.

Bella started out towards the door, Alice following after her. "You coming?" she asked me. I remained indecisive. If I went, then what car would Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie take?

"They can take the M3. Start the school year out right." Alice joked. I grimaced. The M3 always brought unneeded attention to us. But then again, so would the Porsche.

"Sure." I said and followed the girls out.

We climbed into Bella's car, Alice bouncing in the back seat.

"Bella you're going to love school! Although some of the people there are all ew if you know what I mean. Like, you've met Mike Newton and he's just gross. Then there's Lauren, the school slut, with her follower, Jessica. Tyler and Eric are…. Okay I guess if you like dogs that follow your every step. Angela and Ben are normal at least. Oh you should eat lunch with us—"

"You eat lunch?" Bella asked.

"Well, we pretend to. So you should sit with us." Alice clarified. Bella just nodded. We were the only people she knew after all.

When we arrived at the school, everyone stared at the car. It was, after all, a brand new Porsche. And a new student. Something new in the town of Forks was always something that was talked about for weeks.

Bella parked and then we all stepped out. People's jaws dropped open. I listened to the people's minds and what people were whispering to their friends.

"Who's she?" "Why is she hanging out with the Cullens?" "Is that her car?" "Is she with Edward?" "Someone's finally caught his eye?" and then the guy's.

"Whoa she's hot!" "I'd tap that." "Nice ride!"

_He goes out with _her_ but not me? _

_What does he see in that freak? _

_New girl catches his eye? I guess the girls here really aren't good enough for him. _

_He still wants me. He's just going out with her to make me jealous. _I looked to who was thinking that. Lauren. Figures.

Bella walked forward, on edge. She wasn't comfortable with people whispering about her. Normally people liked the spotlight, but she didn't seem to. So different from most humans.

I directed Bella towards the office where she picked up her timetable. Even Mrs. Cope was surprised that she was hanging out with us. Were we really that unsocial? Humans were just so… dull and selfish. Except Bella. Bella was an exception to everything.

"First period with Ms. Ringo, a language arts teacher. She's really nice and she's a pretty good teacher. I have that class with you." Alice said, looking at Bella's schedule. I leaned over to look too.

_1__st__ period- Ringo- language arts_

_2__nd__ period- Grantham- math_

_3__rd__ period- Johnston- world history_

_4__th__ period- Perez- Spanish_

_5__th__ period- lunch_

_6__th__ period- Miller- science_

_7__th__ period- Thorpe- gym_

I only had science with her. I _could_ change that, but I decided not to. How would Bella react? She always surprised me. Would she want to have a lot of classes with me? Did she even like me?

"Do I have any other classes with you Alice?"

"No, but you have science with Edward."

"Bummer." Was she saying bummer to having science with me or was she saying bummer to having no other classes with Alice? She could be so confusing!

I walked off to my first class but my mind was unfocused. All I could think about was Bella. The clock slowly ticked by as I waited for lunch to come, excited for the first time.

When it finally did, I swept out the door and into the cafeteria. Rosalie and Emmett were already seated at the table we always sat at, their 'lunches' in front of them. I decided to wait for Bella and find out what she ate for lunch.

She finally walked in, Alice at her side. She already looked like she wanted the day to be over. When she stepped into line, I stepped in next to her.

"So Bella, how's your first day been so far?"

She grimaced. "Ugh… I hate school. This more than any. That Mike kid is so annoying, Eric is like a puppy dog, and Lauren is such a bitch."

"Would you like some cheese with that wine?" I teased.

She smacked my arm. "Ow! What are you made of? Metal?"

I just shook my head, smirking. "No, you're just extremely weak."

She scowled. I smiled angelically at her.

When we got to the food part, I loaded the tray with some of everything.

"What are you doing?" she objected. "You're not getting all that for me?"

I shook my head, stepping forward to buy the food. "Half is for me, of course." **(A/N: Sound familiar? This is practically word for word from the book lol**)

She sighed, shaking her head. I lead her over to our table just as Rosalie stood up to leave.

"What's her problem?" Bella asked.

Rosalie spun around on her heel and hissed at Bella, "My problem is you! You're putting my whole family at risk."

I glared at her while Bella just shrugged, totally unaffected. "Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair in 6 months." And then she smiled at Rosalie. She always surprised me.

Rosalie just stopped off. She was always afraid of change. And she truly did believe that Bella was a danger. But I didn't believe that. I trusted Bella.

Bella sat down in Rosalie's seat and pulled the tray towards her. "Hmm…what to eat…" she muttered to herself.

She settled on a piece of pizza and a salad, then pushed the tray towards me. "We _are_ splitting it, so eat up lover boy." She joked. If I could have blushed, I would have.

She smirked then dug in. Alice was talking at 100 miles an hour and I doubted that Bella could understand. She seemed perfectly comfortable not being in the conversation.

"So, what would happen if one of you was dared to eat?" Bella asked out of the blue.

Emmett started laughing boisterously. "I like her Edward. You've picked up a good one." He laughed again at my face. I was embarrassed and murderous. I settled on glaring at Emmett for now; I'd get him back later. What to do… I could fill his bed with pudding, so when he and Rosalie got it on, they would sink right down to the floor. This would upset him but also give the family a break from them and their… flamboyant relationship.

Alice started laughing and I knew that it would work. Perfect.

"What Alice?" Emmett whipped his head around, looking for something funny.

"Nothing Emmett, nothing." But it wasn't very convincing because her small body was still rocking with laughter. Bella was shaking her head, smiling. And, of course, I had to smile. Her smile just made me have to smile, it was contagious.

_Aww look how in love he is! He's so cute! I'm glad that he's finally found someone. Too bad about Bella's diag— Oh crap Edward! _I turned to stare at Alice. She made a show of having to go to her locker, dragging Jasper with her. I'd get it out of her tonight.

"So Emmett, don't you want to go find Rosalie? Make sure she's okay?" I asked.

"Naw, she'll be fine." He said.

"Okay but don't come crying to me if she's a little…reluctant… tonight." I pressed. Emmett froze then got up and ran after her. I laughed. Emmett and Rosalie loved each other a lot but they had a very physical relationship.

"So now that the whole family's gone, are you going to leave too?" Bella joked. But I knew she was a little worried that I would leave too. Didn't she understand that I made the family leave to spend more time with her?

"Bella, I would never leave you."

She seemed a bit nervous then. Why? Was that too much? Didn't she know that I loved her?

"I… I care about you too much." Now I was nervous. But she needed to see that I wouldn't leave her like her father had, no matter how involuntary it was.

"You don't think I care about you too Edward?" she asked. I looked up at her. She seemed a little nervous.

"Well, whenever I'm with you, I feel as if… as if you're always ready to leave, to go." It wasn't completely true, but I did feel like she was always so hesitant, so willing to leave.

"But that just shows how much I care. I'm willing to leave, even if it hurts me, to… to not hurt you." She pointed out.

"You don't think I'd do the same?" I asked. I would do anything for her.

"You wouldn't have to make the choice." I was about to protest when she said, "We should go now." **(A/N: i know it seems forced. i added it in when i rewrote it. but it's a VERY important part of the story. it kinda leads up to chapter 16 if you get my gist lol)**

I looked around to see the cafeteria practically empty. I took Bella's hand in one of mine and her tray in the other. I dumped it in the trash can while I still held Bella's hand. I was glad she didn't protest. But I knew that people would be whispering about it.

Bella surprised me when she started giggling. I looked down at her, confused. Did I miss something?

"These people have nothing better to talk about." She whispered. Ahh she was talking about us.

"Well, I'm going to hell anyway, so I may as well." And I wrapped my arm around her neck and pulled her closer. She was shocked at first then walked closer to me.

BPOV

Should I let him or not? I mean, I really like him but… I was going to hurt him and I really didn't want to since I'd be 'out of his hair' in 6 months. I decided I may as well. We were too far in to not. But then again, staying away and hurting myself rather than hurt him, wouldn't that be better? By getting closer to him, I was being selfish.

_Last time Bella. This will be your last time. Other than that, just friends. _But then again, by being just his friend, I knew I'd want more. And maybe he would too. So should I just stay away from him? But then he'd think it was something he did when it really was me. So maybe it'd be better to just stay away from his whole family.

I should make friends with the superficial people like Lauren and Jessica- they wouldn't care when I was gone.

_Then again, you did warn them that you'd be gone in 6 months. So it'd be their fault if they grow too attached to you and miss you_. I shook that thought out of my head. It wasn't their fault. They'd want to keep in touch, and I wouldn't be able to. I'd be dead.

So, I steeled myself to stay away from them. Be solitary if it made their eternity better for them. Make friends with Bitch I- Lauren, and Bitch II- Jessica. I sighed. This was going to be a long 6 months.

I jumped when I felt Edward tap my shoulder. I looked around to see that the class was already exiting. Had I really just spent that whole hour thinking?

"Bored already? It's only your first day of school too." Edward teased.

I laughed. "I don't plan on paying attention. It's not like I'm going to use this ever in life." I said. And I wasn't. I was going to have bit the dust already. I didn't want to spend the last 6 months of my life doing work. Ew.

He knew something was up but didn't say anything. He showed me to my next class and then walked away. I sighed. I really didn't want to ignore him but I'd have to for his and his family's sanity.

Gym was really easy- we were playing volleyball and I had a pretty good spike and serve. My team won 2 out of 3 games. Everyone congratulated me but I just smiled. I didn't really like the spotlight.

By the end of the week, I was more than halfway in love with Edward Cullen. Hell, I was in love with him. He was so sweet, caring, chivalrous, intelligent, cute, exciting, daring; the list went on and on. And I knew that I needed to leave before he could fall in love with me. If he saw me that way…. I wished he did but at the same time that he didn't. I didn't want to hurt him.

On Friday, I quickly changed before going to the parking lot to meet Alice and Edward. They were unusually quiet. Well, Alice was. Edward was almost always quiet.

I dropped them off at their house before heading home. Maybe my mom and I should move. Someplace where I wouldn't have to hurt Edward and Alice and Emmett and Jasper and Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie… I wouldn't want to hurt her either, but I knew she wouldn't care.

And maybe in the new town, I could finally get a motorcycle. There weren't too many promising places where I could get one here….

So when I parked the car in the garage, I readied myself to tell my mom that we were moving. Again.

**wow this chapter's HUGE!! i didnt even realize it was this long until i looked at the scrolly thingy!! its.... 2,757 words excluding author's note!! wow!!**

**well, u wanted longer chapters! and its a gift**

**IMPORTANT!!!!!**

**NO UPDATE TOMORROW!! I HAVE ANOTHER CHORUS CONCERT TOMORROW!! BOO!!!!**

**WELL, IF IM LUCKY I MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUT MORE THAN LIKELY NOT**

**AND REMINDER: **

**NO UPDATE WEEK OF THE 13-18 BECAUSE OF MIDTERMS!!**

**THANKS!!**

**AND PLS REVIEW!!!! (I SPENT ALOT OF TIME ON THIS CHAPTER- I HAD TO REWRITE IT TWICE!!!**


	16. I'll Tell You Anyway

**Whoops! i acidenttly titled it wrong when i uploaded it....**

**and i had rewritten the previous chapter so i therefore had to edit this one. i apologize ahead of time if i made some errors :(**

**and thx so much to my reviewers!!!!!!! it really means alot!!**

**and this chapter, the one you've all been wating for, well.... its kinda almost a filler. not as great as you guys made it out to be lol**

**and ive decided to dedicate this chapter to oceanlover14!!**

_I dropped them off at their house before heading home. Maybe my mom and I should move. Someplace where I wouldn't have to hurt Edward and Alice and Emmett and Jasper and Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie… I wouldn't want to hurt her either, but I knew she wouldn't care._

_And maybe in the new town, I could finally get a motorcycle. There weren't too many promising places where I could get one here…._

_So when I parked the car in the garage, I readied myself to tell my mom that we were moving. Again._

Chapter 16: I'll tell you anyway

APOV

I saw Bella was planning to do. And I didn't understand it at all.

She was going to ditch us to make friends with Lauren and Jessica. Why? Did she care about being popular? Was she really that shallow? Did she decide that she didn't like us anymore? And what about my brother? She can't go around kissing him and then leave.

Then I saw her talking to her mom about moving. Did she really hate us that much? I was glad that the mom said no. But saddened again when she said she'd send Bella off to a boarding school somewhere in France.

I jumped when Jasper put his arms around me. "What's wrong honey? You're emotions are all askew. Upset, angry, happy, excited, disappointed, sad." Jasper said. I winced. Oops, I guess I forgot about his sensitivity.

I didn't know whether or not to spill. If I told him, Edward would hear and get angry/ depressed and leave. If I didn't, Edward would get angry/ depressed and go after her. And I wasn't sure whether or not she was worth it anymore.

"Alice?" Edward was in my room. Damn, he heard all of that. "What's going on? Why is Bella leaving? And don't tell me you don't know. You know something. And you _are_ going to tell me." Edward growled.

What to say what to say… Cover for Bella? It _was_ her secret. But then again…she _was_ leaving…but then again, she probably had her reasons.

"Alice. We're waiting." Edward said through gritted teeth. And I saw that Jasper was anxious to hear too. But for different reasons…

But still, what to say?

BPOV

My mom agreed to send me a boarding school somewhere in France. I spoke fluent French, because my dad had always wanted me to be ready to take on the world. I spoke French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese, German, and English. But only two of those languages were going to help me in life. English, obviously. And French. I wished I had time to use all those languages. To go to all those countries that spoke them.

But that'd be very unlikely. My mom hated traveling. It was harder to live in comfort and luxury when traveling. I disagreed. But I also didn't think that you had to live in comfort when you were traveling. It was all part of the experience of going to the country, living in their standards for at least one night.

Of course my mom didn't understand as to why I needed to leave. Even though I explained it- I didn't want to hurt them. She didn't seem to care. She actually seemed a little relived. And I had already given up on bonding time with my mom. It would hurt her even more. I sighed. I'd end up hurting everyone I came in contact with.

But I knew I couldn't hurt the Cullens anymore than I already had. I was just worried that maybe I was too late.

APOV

So here I am, standing here while my family is waiting for an answer. My whole family. As in Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, Edward, and even Rosalie. They were only here because they wanted to know what the problem was. Why Edward was glaring at me. And we had been having our staring contest for about 4 hours. It wasn't my fault that, even though I was mad at Bella and had no idea what her reasons were, it was her secret to tell. Damn, I'm such a good friend!

Oh right, answer the question…

"Uh…so Bella's going to France?" it came out as a question. I heard Esme's gasp. Rosalie snorted. For once I agreed with her.

"Why?!" Esme exclaimed.

And back to square one. "Um… I think that Bella's story to tell. I mean, I have no idea." Wow, what was wrong with me? I was doing a really and I mean really bad job at lying.

Edward continued to glare at me. He knew I was keeping something from him. The whole family knew it.

"Jasper, what do you say to a little hunting trip right about now? I mean, I'm really thirsty." I was silently begging him to say yes. His eyes narrowed but he nodded. He couldn't deny me anything. God I loved him!

He smiled when he felt my sudden surge of love. And lust.

"Ahem." Edward cleared his throat. Normally he'd be laughing, but now he was… pissed.

"Hey Edward, why don't you go ask Bella."

"We both know that she's already on the plane Alice. Tell us. Now." He commanded.

I sighed. Wow, this was a hard decision. To tell or not to tell? This was like the situation earlier, to tell Bella what we were or not to. Now, to tell my family what was wrong with Bella or not to? I could tell everyone but Edward because Bella should be the one to tell Edward, but I knew my family would slip up in their thoughts. That's what happens when your brother can read minds. One slip and boom he knows your deepest darkest little secrets.

But I chose the same thing that I had chosen earlier with Bella. It wasn't my secret to tell, but I'd tell them anyway. They did deserve to know.

"Bella's dying in 6 months." I blurted out. And then silence. For about one second.

Esme was sobbing. Emmett's mouth had dropped- he already considered her as a little sister- then he was cursing the gods above. Carlisle was saying soothing words to Esme even though he looked stunned too. Even Rosalie looked as if she felt bad. Edward was in shock and then he looked murderously angry. At whom, I wasn't sure. And then there was Jasper. And he was in pain. Serious pain. All the emotions….

"Jasper honey, why don't we take that hunting trip now?"

**okay everyone knows. and yes bella has left. but if u think about it, would i really do a story without edward involved with bella? i'm obsessed with edward cullen!!! so the answer would be NO!!**

**so....guess who goes after bella? haha if you guess right i'll give you a cookie lol**

**but the chapter 18 is pretty awesome!!**

**and preview: **

"Just change her Edward." Rosalie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My head snapped to her direction. Rosalie being nice?

**oh and everyone wanted this chapter up before midterms.... but not all chapters are going to be up before then :(**

**but thats okay!!! something to look forward to!! lol**

**and i might b able to post a couple of chapters next week..not sure tho**

**PLS REVIEW!!**


	17. Rosalie Hale, Nice?

**omg 31 reviews!!! thanks so much guys!! **

**have i told u i love u recently? well, i do! i love u guys so much!!!**

**and i dedicate this chapter to: Hersheybear!! thanks so much!**

_Esme was dry crying. Emmett's mouth had dropped- he already considered her as a little sister- then he was cursing the gods above. Carlisle was saying soothing words to Esme even though he looked stunned too. Even Rosalie looked as if she felt bad. Edward was in shock and then he looked murderously angry. At whom, I wasn't sure. And then there was Jasper. And he was in pain. Serious pain. All the emotions…._

_"Jasper honey, why don't we take that hunting trip now?"_

**Chapter 17: Rosalie Hale… Nice?**

EPOV

Bella was gone. The best thing that had ever happened to me had slipped through my fingers. And then I looked back at the amount of time that I had known her. 7 days. And I was already in love with her.

But I knew why she left. And I understood. It reminded me of the conversation we had had the first day of school.

"_Bella, I would never leave you." _

_She seemed a bit nervous then. Why? Was that too much? Didn't she know that I loved her? _

"_I… I care about you too much." Now I was nervous. But she needed to see that I wouldn't leave her like her father had, no matter how involuntary it was. _

"_You don't think I care about you too Edward?" she asked. I looked up at her. She seemed a little nervous. _

"_Well, whenever I'm with you, I feel as if… as if you're always ready to leave, to go." It wasn't completely true, but I did feel like she was always so hesitant, so willing to leave. _

"_But that just shows how much I care. I'm willing to leave, even if it hurts me, to… to not hurt you." She pointed out. _

"_You don't think I'd do the same?" I asked. I would do anything for her. _

"_You wouldn't have to make the choice." I was about to protest when she said, "We should go now."_

Was that what she was talking about? Was that why she was leaving? Because she knew she was going to die soon? Well, in 6 months…

She was so unselfish which made me love her even more. But she was gone…

_You could always go after her you know._ But what if she was right? That we shouldn't be together because of her diagnosis. And I knew I'd miss her once she died. I already missed her and she had just left. And I had only known her for 7 days. If I knew her for 6 months and then she left… I'd want to die.

_You can always follow after her. You know that the Volturi would eliminate you if you stepped one foot over line… _

"Just change her Edward." Rosalie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My head snapped to her direction. Rosalie being nice?

I read her mind and she was being sincere. She rolled her eyes and explained. "She's no longer a danger as long as she keeps our secret to herself. But she can keep one. We never knew she was going to die and she didn't even act as if she had a secret. And… she really likes you Edward. And I feel bad for the way I treated her. And when the 6 months are up, we'll change her and the Volturi won't attack us for having a human know our secret. Because she won't be human."

"I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't change her. Damn her to this life. To eternity."

"Well, make sure she agrees. That she wants to. But I'm sure she'll be more than willing to spend eternity with you." Rosalie said, smirking.

But if she wanted to spend eternity with me, then why did she leave? Maybe she really didn't like me and didn't want to lead me on. But then again, she kissed me. she probably really did like me…

I was mulling over the moments we had shared- kissing in the park where I got a taste of her luscious lips, talking in the cafeteria, where I got a chance to look into her soul, telling her my secret, where I got the chance to trust someone other than my family. I already considered her family. What would it be like to have her Isabella Marie Cullen? Hmm… maybe too soon. Way too soon.

"Edward, go after her. You've been moping for a whole day." Emmett said and for once he wasn't laughing or smiling.

I looked outside. The positions of the stars confirmed it. But I didn't want to believe it. I checked my phone. Sunday.

I sighed. I didn't know what to do. "Alice. What would happen if I do go after her?"

"I'm not sure. She's not completely willing to come back. But I think she will. And no, I don't see her as one of us. I see her funeral." Alice trailed off.

So she didn't really like me? I shouldn't go after her. I should just leave her alone. Let her be.

"Edward, the future changes." Carlisle said. I looked at him and he was worried about me. I just nodded.

"You're going to go after her Edward. And you're going to take me. And she's going to come back with us." Alice stated. How could she be sure?

But I wanted to believe her words so badly. I wanted to believe that Bella loved me. That Bella would be willing to come back with me.

"Fine." I said. You could never win against Alice. But this time I was glad that you couldn't. I didn't want to.

BPOV

When I arrived at my dorm on Saturday, my roommate was nonexistent. As in I was by myself. At first I was disappointed. Then I realized that it'd be better that way. No one else I could hurt.

I didn't bother setting up. It was way too late at night to do that. I was tired. But I'd be sure to party plenty here.

And I didn't plan on doing any school work. I hadn't done any at Forks and Edward would always look at me funny. I would just shrug, saying that I wouldn't need it in life. Why learn it? He didn't need to know that I didn't want to spend the last 6 months of my life doing school work. Ugh…

The school still didn't know that I had transferred yet. Renee was probably hoping that I would go back. The only way I'd go back would be if Edward came here, all the way to France, and knock down my door, demanding I come back. Be my knight in shining armor.

I fell into an uneasy sleep. I wished I could sleep in Edward's arms. Then I heard a knocking on my door. I jumped up. I checked my phone and it was only 3 AM. I smiled. I really hoped that it was Edward. I got up and opened the door…

**bad news: **

**saturday is my last update until next thursday :(****  
im so sorry for those of u who take my story as a drug lol. but too much of anything is never good lol**

**good news: **

**the preview for the chapter is amazing!! lol. its another cliff hanger :)**

"Oh sounds dreamy! Why'd you leave him?" by now the whole room was listening. I gritted my teeth and decided I'd have to bear. These girls seemed nice enough.

"I'd think we'd all like to know the answer to that question." A velvety voice said. I gasped- along with all the girls in the room- and spun around.

"Edward!"

**muhahaha!! sadistic laughter!! but those of you who guessed edward, guess what? u were right!!!!**


	18. French Girls

**Thanks to my reviewers!!!**

**and I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO ALL OF THEM!!!**

****IMPORTANT NOTE AT BOTTOM!!!**

**oh and everyone gets a cookie :) a large, freshly baked, warm chocolate chip cookie with a glass of milk with it. oh and of course, a choice of sugar cookies if ur a non-chocolate chip kinda-person lol**

The school still didn't know that I had transferred yet. Renee was probably hoping that I would go back. The only way I'd go back would be if Edward came here, all the way to France, and knock down my door, demanding I come back. Be my knight in shining armor.

I fell into an uneasy sleep. I wished I could sleep in Edward's arms. Then I heard a knocking on my door. I jumped up. I checked my phone and it was only 3 AM. I smiled. I really hoped that it was Edward. I got up and opened the door…

Chapter 18: French Girls

BPOV

A tall woman in a dark blue suit stood there. She held a clipboard in her hand and was wearing glasses. She looked strict. My heart fell. It wasn't Edward. **(how many of you thought it was edward? lol. oh and please pretend this whole conversation is in French. I could do it in French but I'd have to translate it to English for you guys anyway)**

She said in French: "Welcome to Whetherington All Girls Boarding School. I'm Madam Mikaloushe and I will be your dorm director. However, since today is your first day and by the end of this week your first week," No duh. Did she think I was stupid? "You aren't officially registered and you don't have to pay your tuition until the end of the week. To be sure you like the school. With that said, breakfast will be served at 7. Good night."

I nodded and then closed the door, leaning against it, my heart aching for Edward. I climbed back into bed and fell into another uneasy sleep.

I woke up at 11:00 American time. It was only 6: 00 French time. I still wasn't used to the time change.

I decided I'd shower this morning. I crossed the hall to the shower. No one was up yet. I quickly showered, brushed my teeth and dressed. I wore the uniform- the short plaid skirt and the white blouse and plaid tie. I just brushed my hair and put on a little mascara. I took a deep breath and started down the stairs.

When I got down I knew people were staring at me. I hid my face behind my hair. I could hear the whispers.

"Whose she?" "Where's she from?"

"Hello I'm Kate." I looked up. A girl with long brown hair was standing in front of me, holding out her hand. I took it, thankful for a friendly face.

"I'm Bella." She nodded but I could tell she wasn't really paying attention. So much for being a friendly face. I decided I'd grab some food and go up to my room. Stay away from these people.

"Well, Beatrice, just a warning. Stay away from our table. And the boys at Whetherington All Boys Boarding School. They wouldn't like you anyway." She said.

I was about to walk away when I decided I wasn't going to take any crap from anyone. Especially not this bitch.

"No thanks. But thanks for the offer." She looked confused.

"Excuse me? It wasn't an offer. It was a warning."

"What are you going to do to me if I ignore your 'warning.'" I made air quotes around the word warning.

"I'll be sure to make your stay a living hell." She smiled sweetly.

"Well now, no wonder the boys decided to move into the building across the street. They wanted to stay away from your ugly face. And if you're worried about competition for the boys, don't worry. There isn't any." She smiled at that. She must have decided to ignore my previous comment. "They'll be sure to stay away from a toad like you."

She gasped. The whole room was listening.

"At least I'm not an ugly duckling!" she snapped back.

"Don't you know that the ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan? And I already have. My name's Bella Swan. But the toad… if you leave it out in the sun too long, it starts to shrivel up. Looks like you already have."

She gasped again before stomping off. Wow these French girls didn't have much to them. And now that I had everyone's attention, I may as well say something.

"So, does anyone want to direct me to the cereal or eggs or something? I'm starving."

EPOV

We were on the plane for 14 hours. I was impatient, anxious to get to Bella. But it was faster than running. Or swimming.

When it was 9 AM French time, we had 3 hours left on the flight. I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat as if that would get us to Bella faster. Alice was patiently sitting, for once quiet and still. It was like we had switched roles- now I was the one constantly moving.

BPOV

After breakfast, I still hadn't made any real friends. People would congratulate me- I guess everyone hated that Kate girl- but they wouldn't stay and talk. Right after lunch, I wandered out into the park that the school had and sat down on a bench with my laptop.

My mom had emailed me. She probably wanted to know how I liked the school so far.

I decided I would tell her the truth. Why would I lie? Why would I tell her that her daughter was having the time of her life when she was actually suffering in hell? I could always go back even though I knew she didn't want me to.

It surprised me when she told me that she had missed me. I didn't see how. I had been gone for about two days- Friday night to early this morning I was on the plane. And then today. That was actually… only about one day and a half. Friday night, Saturday, and then half of Sunday. And it wasn't like my mom talked to me much when I was home.

I told her about my day and the fact that the French girls didn't have much to them. She'd get a kick out of that. I smiled to myself and realized how much I missed home.

_Get a grip Bella! It hasn't even been two days! You were just criticizing your mom for missing you and here you are missing home!_

I decided to walk up to my room, bored, because there wasn't anything to do. We didn't have classes over the weekend. It was 2 pm. I had 8 hours until curfew. What to do in 8 hours…

Well, first I'd drop off my laptop. Then I'd explore the campus and hopefully make some friends. And it wasn't like I was anti social. The French people just weren't that nice.

After I put my laptop away, I made my way to the park again. No one was there. I decided to check inside at the library, cafeteria, and lounge. Ah… jackpot.

Everyone was in the lounge. Talking, watching TV, reading, listening to music, playing cards. I made my way over to the table where people were playing cards.

"What are you playing?" I asked them. They looked up and then looked down. I sighed.

So I made my way over to the couch where some girls were talking.

"Hey, I'm Bella."

The examined me. I was wearing the same thing as them… and what would it matter how I looked?

"Janet." "Stephanie." "Simone."

I nodded. At least they told me their names.

"So, we were talking about the guys in the building next to us. Any special guy friends?" Simone asked. I wanted to roll my eyes. Of course these girls would be talking about boys. They had next to no interaction with them.

"Kind of. But I left him behind in America."

The girls were suddenly interested now.

"Was he your boyfriend?" "What did he look like?" "Have you ever kissed a guy before?" "Have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"No, he wasn't my boyfriend, yes, I've kissed a guy before, and yes, I've had a boyfriend before. And the guy…he was gorgeous. Bronze hair, topaz eyes, tall, pale, the most beautiful smile ever…" I trialed off. It hurt to think about him.

"Oh sounds dreamy! Why'd you leave him?" by now the whole room was listening. I gritted my teeth and decided I'd have to bear. These girls seemed nice enough.

"I think we'd all like to know the answer to that question." A velvety voice said. I gasped- along with all the girls in the room- and spun around.

"Edward!"

**haha so i know im evil. this ending was the preview of the last chapter!**

**and i will not be able to update the rest of this wkend :(**

**i have a social studies, biology, and spanish midterm to study for and then 15 songs that i have to learn because i totally procrastinated. and one of thems in german, the other in french. and i take spanish. ugh....**

**so im soo sorry!! but i also hoped that if i left it at an interesting cliffy then i can keep readers while im gone on hiatus :( **

**but a preview again!**

"Come back with me. Come back to Forks." I said. She looked sad and shook her head, though I knew it took all her will power. She wanted to but felt like she couldn't. She was so unselfish.

"Don't worry about me Bella. We can work it out. I promise. I love you."

**so theyre still totally together! or are they? **

**preview from chapter 20: **

"So Bella, what would you say to becoming a vampire?"

Bella was stunned in silence. I looked into the future. No brown haired girl with glowing red eyes. Damn.

**oh and this chapter, without the A/Ns is about 1400!!! so they are getting kinda longer lol **

**oh and PLS REVIEW!!!**

**and wait until thursday!! and dont try to coerce me to posting tuesday or something. ill be in epoct- tuesday and wednesday- for chorus!! thats why i have to memorize 15 songs. then thursday i have to take 3 midterms...ugh **

**sorry again. but i had totally forgotten about the songs :(**

**but will you still reiview please? i totally get if u dont...u dont love me anymore..... *sniff sniff* but i still love you 3**


	19. Questions

**Thanks so much for the reviews!!! **

**and yes, i did have a good time at disney it was really fun :) **

**but i must have picked up a bug or something there because i got sick. so now i have no voice. i lost it. and i like to talk. i LOVE to talk. and now i cant without ppl making fun of me. and they have been since 00 period this morning, aka 7 am. joy**

**so besides the fact i was sick, i had to take 3 midterms today. 3!! gahhhhh**

**and sorry for the long wait. i had to study for those midterms but theyre finally over!! yay!!!!!!**

**and heres where we left off: **

"Oh sounds dreamy! Why'd you leave him?" by now the whole room was listening. I gritted my teeth and decided I'd have to bear. These girls seemed nice enough.

"I think we'd all like to know the answer to that question." A velvety voice said. I gasped- along with all the girls in the room- and spun around.

"Edward!"

Chapter 19: Questions

EPOV

Bella was sitting on a couch with some other girls. It had taken us forever to track her down to where she was because she had traveled by taxi. When we got into the room, scent was so appealing. But the joy of seeing her again overrode that desire that I barely felt it.

They were asking her about her 'male experience' and then one girl asked why she left me.

Alice and I had snuck in so quickly that no one would notice our entrance. I wanted it to be a surprise.

"I think we'd all like to know the answer to that question." I put in. Bella- and the whole room- gasped. I was met by Bella's warm chocolate eyes, then her blush. I smiled.

She looked so sad, relieved, regretful, and excited all at once.

"Edward." Just hearing my name roll of her tongue made me shiver with pleasure. She stood up.

"Bella, why'd you leave Forks?" I asked.

"Edward… it's a long story." she said.

"I have time." She smiled. She knew it- I had eternity.

"Edward… I'm sure Alice told you." She didn't want to tell the whole room her secret, so I just nodded. "Well, I didn't want to hurt you by… by getting to know you too well then… leaving."

I smiled because I was right. She frowned when I smiled. I stepped closer to her and looked down while she looked up.

"You could have told me. I didn't know. And there's always a solution to every problem. You trust me right?"

She nodded fervently. I smiled then leaned down to kiss her. She stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around my neck. I smiled against her lips, the lips that I had missed so much.

I was barely aware that a whole room full of girls was watching us.

"Come back with me. Come back to Forks." I said. She looked sad and shook her head, though I knew it took all her will power. She wanted to but felt like she couldn't. She was so unselfish.

"Don't worry about me Bella. We can work it out. I promise. I love you." It felt like the right moment to say it. "It's too late to go back Bella."

"Edward… I-I love you too. But-"

I shushed her with my lips while the whole room- including my sister- aww-ed. Didn't they understand personal moments?

But I continued to ignore them because she had said she loved me back. I was already in 7th heaven.

And then I saw Alice's vision. Bella was back in Forks and her eyes were blood red. I smiled and pulled away.

"Bella, be my girlfriend?" I whispered so only she could hear me.

She responded by kissing me again, smiling. "Why not?"

We laughed then I picked her up bridal style. "Your chariot awaits my lady." I said while she laughed. At least she wasn't protesting.

The French girls all got up and followed us. I could read their minds and they had obviously never had much interaction with guys before. Alice followed behind, her brow still furrowed. I decided to ignore her for now- I was too ecstatic to be holding Bella in my arms again.

"Okay, you can put me down now." She said. I just laughed and kept walking. She sighed and pouted- she knew I wouldn't listen.

"Go up, then take a left. I'm room number 1392." I nodded even though I could tell by her scent. I just wanted to hear her beautiful voice.

"It's a good thing you haven't unpacked yet. You're coming home with us. And don't worry, we've already bought your ticket. And no, don't even try paying us back." Alice said. She had already foreseen the questions Bella was going to ask.

"Alice." Bella started but my sister interrupted.

"Bella, we'll talk about it later." She looked pointedly in my direction. What were they going to talk about that I couldn't hear?

"Alice. Bella. What's going on?"

"Nothing Edward." Alice said. But this time Bella interrupted her.

"Well, my little friend over here," she looked at Alice, "said a little secret that I didn't exactly want to be spilled. Oh, it's this room."

She gave me her key and I opened the door. Her room was tiny and had two beds but I could tell that she didn't have a roommate. Probably something that her mom had requested. I put her down and she sat on the bed.

"You were saying?"

"Oh yes, well I would have told you if I wanted too. But I didn't. Because I don't want pity or sympathy. I want to make these 6 months the best of my life."

I frowned. "Bella, you should have told us. I know that you didn't want our sympathy but it might have saved me a lot of heart ache and worry about why you left."

"Well, I thought that I could just go into a random town, make my life worth it for 6 months, then just… leave. But when I met you and your family, I couldn't. Because I knew that once I left, I'd end up hurting you. So I decided to leave before you guys became too attached to me."

Didn't she know that I fell in love with her by the 3rd day I had known her?

"Bella, I was in love with you by day 3."

She sighed. "I guess I was too late. But I'm glad that you guys came after me. I missed you even though it had barely been two days."

I laughed and then took her bags with one hand and her hand with the other.

"I can take my bags you know."

"I know. I just wanted to. And you really didn't pack much." I pointed out. She had a duffel bag and a laptop case.

"We had uniforms that we had to wear. So I had the 7 uniforms and then books, my Ipod, and my laptop. That was all I really needed."

I started to pull her down the stairs when she stopped. "I need to inform Madam… um…Madam M lady that I'm leaving."

I smirked. "Don't worry, we've already done that." And we had. Quite easily. A few winks, laughs and viola she was easily taken care of.

Bella just shook her head in mock disappointment. We lead her to the car we had 'borrowed'—a black Mercedes—and drove back to the airport. Well, Alice drove while Bella lay in my arms in the back.

And I decided to bring the subject up.

"So Bella, what would you say to becoming a vampire?"

**ok now that winter break starts soon, i can work on my chapters!! cuz i only have until 21 typed and i like to be prepared....**

**but im going to visit some old cheerleading friends!! yayyy!! im so excited!!**

**oh and pls make my day better and REVIEW!!**

_preview: _

_"Jasper, did you ever think that Edward was…gay?" I was truly curious._

_can u guess who said that? lol_


	20. I Lost the Bet

**okay sorry for the long wait (2 whole days! lol) but im running out of chapters and ideas**

**aka writers block :(**

**but thx to my reviewers!! i now have over 300 reviews!! yay!! **

**so heres the chapter while i try working on more chapters but i dont think there will b daily updates :(**

_Bella just shook her head in mock disappointment. We lead her to the car we had 'borrowed'—a black Mercedes—and drove back to the airport. Well, Alice drove while Bella lay in my arms in the back. _

_And I decided to bring the subject up. _

"_So Bella, what would you say to becoming a vampire?"_

Chapter 20: I lost the Bet

APOV

Bella was stunned in silence. I looked into the future. No brown haired girl with glowing red eyes. Damn.

"Edward. I love you. And I would love to spend eternity with you. But…it's against God and…" she didn't know what to say.

Edward looked heartbroken. _Don't worry brother dear. It'll work out. She loves you but she is very young. Give her time. _

No need to show him the vision I had. Well, lack of one.

The rest of the car ride was silence. Edward seemed to be disappointed but understanding. He was torn between two irreconcilable desires. He didn't want to change her but he wanted her for eternity. Only one was possible.

We stopped the car outside of the airport where it could be easily found. Edward helped Bella out- she was dead on her feet- and we walked inside. We were met by a blast of cold air. Bella involuntarily shuddered.

"Edward. You order the tickets and I'll call Jazzy and Em."

He nodded and pulled Bella with him.

"Jasper?" I said into the receiver. I heard a sigh of relief. I smiled. I was gone for less than a day and he already missed me!

"Alice! How are you? Are you alright? I missed you. How's Bella?" he asked in a rush.

"Calm down Jasper. I'm fine and we're on our way home. But it was so sweet! Bella and Edward finally admitted they loved each other!" I squealed. I was so happy for them!

"That's great honey." He said. I could just see him smiling…

"Oh well I have to go Jazzy. I love you."

"As I love you." He replied. I smiled. He was so sweet!

"Ready Alice?" Edward was standing behind me and Bella had a large coffee in her right hand. She looked more awake.

"Yeah. Jasper's excited we're on our way home."

"I'm sure he is." Edward said, looking straight ahead, his eyes glazed over.

JPOV

After I hung up, I saw the whole family looking at me. They had easily heard the whole conversation.

"What?" why were they staring at me?

"Nothing dear. Nothing." Esme said, but I felt her emotions- she was smug and happy.

Rosalie was…reluctantly happy. I wasn't sure that was even an emotion. But the one that spoke clearest from her was relief. She was glad that they were together.

Carlisle was a little worried but I was fine with that. We all were. Or would be. If their relationship ended badly…

But Emmett… he was surprised, disappointed, relieved, happy and then a little mad. What was up with him?

"Emmett. You're an emotional train wreck."

Emmett POV (This is for you IloveEdwardNotJacob! Thanks so much for your suggestion!!! I loved it!)

So my little brother had finally found someone. Wow. 90 years by himself and he meets this girl, this human girl, and falls in love with her in 4 days? At least he wasn't by himself anymore, so I was happy for him.

At least he wasn't gay. Not that I'd have anything against that…but it was kind of a relief. Something about male pride. And when I had talked to him the other day about the birds and bees, I still wasn't sure if he was serious about Bella. I mean, Bella was his first… friend of the opposite sex that he had an interest of more than a friend in. But gay people experiment, right?

And that led me to my disappointment. God damn it Edward. I lost the bet. The bet I had with Esme. I remembered the day from about three years ago clearly…

"_Jasper, did you ever think that Edward was…gay?" I was truly curious. _

"_That's none of your business Emmett. And if he is then I'm cool with it. But no, I don't think he is. He's just waiting for the right person to come around." And he left the room. _

_And then I realized why. Esme had heard. _

"_Emmett! That really is none of your business! But I assure, Edward is not gay. He's merely waiting for the right lady to catch his eye." She scolded. I rolled my eyes. _

"_Emmett." She warned. _

"_Mother dear, how would you like to take a little bet on that. Edward's away hunting. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." _

_I expected her to decline the offer but she smirked. _

"_Deal. If I win then you and Rose can't have any naughty business for a year." My jaw dropped. No…intimate time with Rose for a year?!_

"_I didn't expect you to back down so easily son." She mocked. I wasn't positive Edward was gay but there was a good chance…and I wasn't sure if it was worth it after all. _

"_No sex when you're in a five mile radius." I negotiated. She smirked again. "But if _I _win, then… then you and Carlisle and the rest of the family for that matter, might have to get earplugs. Because Rose and I will get a lot worse." _

"_Deal." We shook on it. _

Damn her for being right!

And then I was mad at Edward. Why couldn't he have been gay? Now Rose and I'd have to go… far distances to have some fun. And since we were still enrolled in Forks High, we couldn't exactly move out to another house.

Especially since the town was so small. But we could move someplace else…. Go to a different high school. But I knew Rose wouldn't agree. She hated moving so much.

"Emmett. We're waiting." Jasper said.

And then it struck Esme. She remembered the bet. And she had the nerve to be laughing at me!

"Damn it Esme! You win!" I shouted as I stomped up the stairs. I heard Esme telling everyone else about our bet and what the wagers were. And she shouted upstairs, "I told you my son wasn't gay!"

Rosalie was fuming. I could hear her stomping around and cursing me. My life sucked.

EPOV

Even though Alice told me not to doubt it, I couldn't help it. What if Bella didn't love me? What if she didn't want to spend eternity with me?

"Edward. Stop worrying. The future can change." Alice reassured me. But I was still afraid and worried. What would I do if Bella did die? If she decided to pass onto the next life like she was supposed to? Maybe I would go to the Volturi… Bella _was_ my life now. I could not bear to leave her. Ever.

Alice gasped.

_I was in front of Aro, begging him to kill me. _

"_Aro, please. My life has no reason or rhyme to it anymore. Bella… Bella's gone." And I fell to my knees in front of him. The vampire royal who held a ice cold heart. _

"Edward…" Alice whispered. I was shocked. Would Bella really choose to die?

APOV

The vision took me totally off guard. I was trying to keep the fact that Bella would die a secret but the vision with Edward… he was going to kill himself once Bella died. And I need to change that. I would no matter what. Bella _was_ going to become a vampire if it was the last thing I did.

The plane finally landed. We were in Seattle and the whole family was there. Bella was asleep like a rock. But I shook her awake gently. Edward was still wallowing. This was why I needed to convince Bella to change. Edward would be depressed and… suicidal if Bella died.

Bella woke, her eyelids slowly opening and taking in the world before her.

"Are we already in Forks Alice?" she croaked.

"No love, we're at the airport. The plane just landed. You can go back to sleep and I'll carry you." Edward cooed at her. Wow he was whipped.

He scowled in my direction. Whoops he heard that.

We got off the plane quickly and Bella had decided to walk. Just like I expected. The girl would never be able to surprise me. I was Alice and could see the future.

And then I saw Jasper. I looked into his warm, butter scotch gold eyes (AN: haha sanya-leena, remind you of anyone? Lol)

I practically melted. He pulled me into a hug and rested my head on his cool chest. I had missed Jasper so much, even if I had only been gone for a couple of days.

"Oh Bella! We were so worried! Why didn't you tell us?" Esme wailed. She already considered Bella as a daughter.

Bella shrugged. "I guess I just wasn't ready to tell anyone. I don't want sympathy- I want adventure and adrenaline rushes." She said as if she was saying the weather.

Esme just shook her head, but she was smiling.

We all piled into two cars- the Volvo and the Mercedes. Well, me, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme in the Mercedes. Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, and Bella were in the Volvo. Rosalie wanted a chance to apologize to Bella.

BPOV

I was exhausted. Another time change. I was suffering from jet lag. Ugh.

"Bella. I want to apologize for my actions earlier. I didn't know and you really are a good person. I was just… scared I guess of change and having someone on the outside know…"

Rose really was a sweet person! "Don't worry about it Rosalie. I'd do the same thing in your position." I mumbled. I really wanted to go back to sleep.

Edward placed his lips in my hair and said into it, "Sleep Bella, sleep my love." And kissed my head. I fell asleep smiling in the arms of the love of my life.

**oh but this chapter- look, well, read! its 1700 words!! thats pretty long lol**

**but im sorry about no more daily updates but i will try to make them longer but around 1000 words a chapter is like my comfort zone lol**

**and pls review!!**


	21. Jealousy Or is it More?

**Thanks to all my reviewers!! AND I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: WannaBeBella13! thanks for your support :)**

Rose really was a sweet person! "Don't worry about it Rosalie. I'd do the same thing in your position." I mumbled. I really wanted to go back to sleep.

Edward placed his lips in my hair and said into it, "Sleep Bella, sleep my love." And kissed my head. I fell asleep smiling in the arms of the love of my life.

**Chapter 21: Jealousy… or is it more?**

BPOV

We pulled up to my mansion and I felt Edward gently lifting me from the car. He walked to the front door and set me down. I smiled and leaned into him, my sense of balance still recovering from lying down in the car for 2 hours.

I rang the door bell and saw a new face answer.

"'Ello Ms. Bella. I am Deroda and will be your new housekeeper and maid. Please come in." she said. She was short, stout woman of about 5' and her black hair was tied up in a bun.

"Do you know where my mom is?" I asked her. Where was she? Did she know of my early return?

"Yes. She's in her room. When the school notified her of your return, she was quite happy indeed Ms. Bella." She said, nodding her head along with what she was saying. I nodded at and dragged Edward with me upstairs.

"You've never been in my house before have you Edward?" I asked. Because he hadn't. I'd been in his house before numerous times but never invited him into mine. How rude of me.

"No." he said smiling, then mumbled something like "Not that you know of." Under his breath. But I was probably just hearing things.

"Mom! I'm home!" I shouted once we were a few feet away from her door.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hey mom." I said. She was sitting up in her bed, a tray on her lap and the newspaper in front of her nose.

She didn't even look up.

"You're back already. I knew you couldn't stick through with you decisions. And all that money wasted…." She mumbled.

I just smiled sadly. "See you later mom." And closed the door.

I looked up at Edward. "So… want to go to the park?" I asked.

EPOV

How could she be so… calm and accepting of her mother and what she was doing?

Her mom was actually excited to have her daughter back but unsure at the same time. She didn't want to get too attached to her dying daughter but she knew she was hurting her by ignoring her.

If I was in her place, then I'd be sure to get to know her first. So I could have mother-daughter memories. Happy memories. But I wasn't Bella's mother- thank god for that.

I realized- a little late- that Bella was waiting for my answer.

"Sorry love. Of course we can go." She answered by smiling back.

We got to my Volvo and I opened the door for her. She blushed again. She would really need to get used to being taken care of. I was, after all, nothing less than a gentleman.

"Alice is hosting a party tomorrow Bella. She says attendance is mandatory." I said.

"Oh. What type of party?" she asked reluctantly. She really didn't want to go. But she already knew Alice- what Alice wants, which was Bella's presence, Alice gets.

I shrugged. "Just a small get-together. With a few friends." I said.

"Oh..um…okay. Are you sure I have to go?" she pressed.

"Trust me, Alice will drag you out if you refuse to go. And they're family friends. I would really appreciate it if you can come." I smiled at her, my crooked smile. The smile that would always make her heart beat like it was going to jump out of her chest.

And it did. I smirked. She scowled then looked away.

"Fine. I'll go." She said. I smiled. I liked the fact that she was meeting my family- the Denali clan. It was like she was going to become part of my family and was meeting the in-laws. I liked that.

BPOV

We arrived in record time, even for Edward.

He zipped around to my door and opened for me. I blushed. He was such a gentleman. He took my hand in his and led me to the lake.

We just sat on the edge, not talking. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. He draped his arm around my shoulders and I leaned my head onto his shoulder. I felt his lips pressed against my hair and couldn't help but smile. God I loved him.

"Bella. I was…. I've been worr-wondering about—"

He was cut off by someone screaming my name. "BELLA! BELLA! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE REALLY BACK!!"

We turned around and I saw who it was, making my face break out into a large smile.

"Jacob? Is that really you? Wow, you grew a lot!" I said to my old childhood friend.

"Well I can't say so much for you. You're still a squirt!" he joked as he started descending the hill toward us.

"Hey! I grew a lot! I was 6!" I had met Jacob when we were 6 because Billy, his father, had flown up to talk to my dad in New York. And my dad had brought me with him. So Jacob and I talked to each other then while our fathers talked to each other. But there was a bond between the two of us even though we had spent barely a day together. But then we friended each other on facebook and had stayed in touch ever since.

Well, until my father died. Then we just lost touch completely.

He stopped when he got in front of us, smirking. He seemed more…angry then before.

"Oh sorry. Care to introduce me to your….friend?" he sneered.

"This is Edward, my boyfriend. Edward, this is Jacob, a friend of mine from when we were young. His dad was friends with my dad." I introduced the two. Then I noticed that Edward was glaring at Jacob. Did they already know each other?

"Oh sorry Bella. I didn't know you hung out with… _them._" He spat, as if implying something. Did he mean the Cullens? They were lovely people.

"What do you mean Jacob?" I asked. What was his problem?

"Nothing." He spat out. Gr…. He could be so annoying!

I frowned. Something was wrong.

"We were just leaving anyway." Edward said brusquely. What was he responding to?

Jacob frowned but let us pass. When we got into the Volvo, I turned to Edward.

"What did he mean? And what were you responding to? Do you guys know each other? If so then why—"

He cut me off.

"Bella, you know how I can read minds? Jacob was wishing we would leave." And then he started the car and we were off. I could tell by his stance that that would be the end of it.

I pressed my lips together. I'd talk to Alice when we got there. I knew that this wouldn't be the end of it.

**so i originally decided not to have Jacob involved,but then i decided, what's a twilight story without Jacob? **

**and for those of you worried whether or not Bella will become a vampire, i ONLY do BXE stories. so that's hopefully a hint as to whether or not she will change**

**and i got over my writer's block surprisingly quickly. well, im not completely over it but i typed up 3 chapters last night, staying up unitl 130 in the morning :)**

**and of course, the preview: **

_"Vampires and werewolves—"_

_"And bears oh my!"_

**haha i couldnt resist! lol**

**and ur welcome to guess who said that **

**oh and this chapter is 1224 words, so they're getting there! lol**

**so PLS REVIEW!! they give me inspiration and make me type faster. so if u want any scenes, specific POV tell me! it really does make me type faster :)**

**oh and All the Pretty Horses- i added their conversation into chapter 26 :) thank you very much for your suggestion :)**


	22. Vampires Werewolves and Bears Oh My!

**So no flames, but I'd like to rededicate this chapter to His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes. For being such an awesome friend and so supportive of me. I wouldn't have been able to do this story or the last story without her!! She's reviewed with encouraging, supportive information and has been so so so helpful! So I'd like to thank her again! Oh and those two people Santa-leena, tell them that they have it coming lol **

**and thanks to all my reviewers!!! **

"Bella, you know how I can read minds? Jacob was wishing we would leave." And then he started the car and we were off. I could tell by his stance that that would be the end of it.

I pressed my lips together. I'd talk to Alice when we got there. I knew that this wouldn't be the end of it.

**Chapter 22: Vampires, Werewolves and Bears Oh My!**

EPOV

My hands were clenched on the steering wheel. What right did that…._boy_ have talking to Bella like that?

And she shouldn't be anywhere near him! I didn't even know that she was talking to him! Werewolves weren't safe.

I saw her press her lips together in her stubborn pout. She wanted to know what was up. And I would tell her. I just wanted to wait until we were home and safe and with my family. Of course, I wasn't worried about my safety. I was worried about hers. If Jacob had gotten mad…. Then she could have gotten seriously hurt like Emily did because of Sam.

And Jacob probably thought Bella didn't know what I was. I almost snorted aloud at that. Even if she didn't, he'd make sure she did anyway. But she was so much smarter than Jacob gave her credit for!

When we arrived at my house, my jaw was still clenched. I perused my family's thoughts- they were all gathered in the living room because Alice had already told them what happened.

"Hey Bella, Edward." Alice said the second we stepped in through the door.

Bella forced a smile, but even she could feel the tense atmosphere. I looked pointedly at Jasper, who used his 'power' to make the situation more comfortable. It barely helped.

"So Edward. And I'm sure you know about it too Alice. What was wrong with Jacob?" Bella didn't beat around the bush.

"Um…." _Edward should we tell her about Jacob? I mean, knowing about vampires can change your whole world, but knowing about werewolves too will really give you a wake up call. _Alice thought.

And for once I was stumped. I didn't know how Bella would react. But then again, I never did. I didn't want to scare her, she shouldn't be afraid because I would always be there to protect her.

We could easily lie to her and say that Jacob was simply bipolar. And it was easily believable.

But she should know the truth. And it wasn't like she was going to hang out with him or anything. I'd make sure of that. Werewolves were too unstable. Once again the question of to tell or not to tell came up.

I looked down at Bella's face, prepared to say the truth. But I saw how trusting she was. How she expected me, _trusted_ me to tell her the truth about Jacob.

And I knew at that moment that I shouldn't, that I couldn't keep secrets from Bella anymore. She trusted me and I had to make sure I deserved that trust.

I took a deep breath, even though it was unneeded.

"Bella, I'm going to tell you the truth even though it may be a bit unsettling. It's going to change your whole world, like learning what _we_ are has already changed it." I began.

My love still looked confused. If the situation wasn't so serious, I would have chuckled.

"Jacob, you see, he's not…._human._ He's a werewolf." I said. I hoped she wouldn't be afraid. I didn't know how much she believed how Hollywood had portrayed werewolves. She probably didn't believe the lies anyway.

I heard her suck in her breath. Her eyes went wide and she cocked her head to the side. "So, he turns into a wolf? Can he only do that during the full moon? Why would that change my world? And don't forget, _you're_ not exactly human either. And why do werewolves and vampires hate each other so much? Or is something personal? And why would you tell me you were going to tell me the truth at the beginning? Don't you always tell the truth?" she shot question after question. If I wasn't a vampire, I wouldn't have been able to catch them.

But she reacted very differently than I thought she would. She always surprised me though. No surprise there.

Emmett POV

Wow my almost-little sister was awesome! She didn't even care that her friend was a dangerous creature of the dark. Fearless.

"Well yeah he turns into a wolf. But he's got major anger management problems. And I'm surprised you can't smell him! He smells like… a dog!" I began to answer her questions. Obviously Edward was too stunned to do so.

"And vampires and werewolves hate each other because we are natural sworn enemies. And how could—"

I was interrupted by Bella again. "But _why_ do you hate each other? Why are you sworn enemies? I mean, did you just know you were sworn enemies and were like, 'I can't like you because you're my sworn enemy and I don't even know you' kind of thing?"

Huh she did have some pretty logical questions….

EPOV

I sighed. I should have known that there would be a lot of questions. And since I decided to be totally truthful and honest with her, I felt a lot…freer. As if there was so much less to worry about.

Because I would love to protect Bella, but she did need to know the truth about things. And I wouldn't be one to say that I'd had a lot of experience with relationships but even I knew that being truthful and trusting your lover to tell the truth was a strong building block of the relationship.

When Bella started asking even more questions, I snapped out of it.

"Knowing that werewolves exist would change your world because now you know that this isn't stuff of fairy tales Bella. This is real. There are monsters out there. Vampires and werewolves—"

"And bears oh my!" Emmett butted in and burst out laughing. Everyone cracked a smile. But only because of how funny he thought his joke was. It really wasn't that funny.

I glared at him then continued. "They exist. And now that you know it, the world that you used to live in will never be the same. And of course I always tell you the truth. I was just deciding whether or not I should then. To protect you. But I've decided that honesty and trust is a very important building block in our relationship and that I should keep that. So I'm always going to be truthful Bella. I'll always tell you the truth." I said, staring into her eyes.

And I could see that she believed me. "Same here Edward." She whispered. She pressed her lips to mine and they moved in sync together.

The rest of my family filed out of the room so we could have our privacy. Well, not without two very unsettling thoughts.

_Don't forget Edward that we can hear everything that goes on in the room. Anything and everything. _Was Emmett's thoughts. I almost rolled my eyes. He could be so immature at times. Scratch that, most times.

And then there was Alice's thought.

_Jacob's coming soon. Well, he's going to walk in the door right now. _

And just as I began to pull away slowly- as not to hurt Bella's feelings- the door burst open. And there, in all his smelly glory, stood Jacob.

(**A/N: I was going to leave off here. But even I'm getting tired of my cliff hangers lol)**

His hands were clenched into fists and trembling. He took one look at the two of us and immediately knew what Bella and I had just been doing. (haha it was just kissing, remember?)

He turned around and took off, fleeing towards the woods.

"Jacob wait!" Bella shouted after him. She didn't actually want the dog anywhere near her did she? Did she decide she liked him more than me? What was going on?

**almost over my writers block! i least know where im going now**

**i think there will probably be only about 7-10 more chapters... i have chapter 27 and half of 28 written and they are about... 1,200 words on average each**

**and this chapter is about 1,150 without the author's note :)**

**so theyre getting there!! **

**and a reminder: this is a BXE story!!!**

**oh and PLS REVIEW!! **

**there WILL be continued daily updates, a 1-day wait at the longest :)**

**ill even give u cookies if u review lol**


	23. Cornered

**Thanks very much to my reviewers!!! **

**and I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: twilightlady189 thanks!**

He turned around and took off, fleeing towards the woods.

"Jacob wait!" Bella shouted after him. She didn't actually want the dog anywhere near her did she? Did she decide she liked him more than me? What was going on?

**Chapter 23: Cornered**

BPOV

What had happened to my best friend? He was a werewolf?

Then I suddenly found myself interested. I bombarded them with questions and as to why they hated each other so much. The hate between Jacob and Edward when they met in the park was so obvious.

But I soon found myself lost in Edward's cool, marble lips. He began to pull away when I heard an intake of breath. I looked and saw Jacob, his hands trembling.

He took off into the trees, and it hurt to see my one of my best friends run away from me like that.

"Jacob, wait!"

I turned to Edward. He seemed to have stiffened. "Edward, why'd he run away from me? He used to be one of my only friend's when I was in middle school and I'd always talk to him on facebook."

I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged myself closer to him.

He relaxed a little and wrapped his arms around me too.

"Don't worry about him Bella. And now I won't have you seeing Bella. He's too dangerous. You see, werewolves have very short tempers. And when their temper gets out of control, they change into a werewolf. They have no control over this and could end up hurting you. And I would never be able to live with myself if you got hurt because of a dog." He spat out the last word.

I was shocked by the amount of venom in his normally velvet voice. "Edward, it wouldn't be your fault. And how would he hurt me by changing into a wolf? Do they lose their sense of who they are like in _Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban _and Professor Lupin?"

He chuckled but it was full of worry. "No Bella. They… I don't really know how to describe this. It's like they explode out of their skin. And they still know who they are. But the damage is done. Do you know Emily? The girl on the reservation? Sam, her fiancé, he lost control around her and now a whole half of her face is ruined." He explained sadly.

"Don't worry about me Edward. I'm sure I'll be safe." And I hugged him again.

We both took notice of the fact that I didn't say that I'd stay away from him. But neither of us said anything. I just wondered to what lengths he would go to stop me from seeing Jacob.

BPOV

I had finally snuck out of the house. Last minute decision was all it took. I remembered the first time I had tried sneaking out of the house to see him.

_I had just left the Cullen's house when I decided that it would be the perfect time to see Jacob. And I had only left the Cullen's house because Emmett scared me off. He brought in a turkey as a late Thanksgiving joke. Really late. It was the beginning of December. _

_Two wonderful, blissful months with Edward. I hadn't really talked with Jacob much after what had happened. He wouldn't respond to me on facebook and completely ignored me when I pulled up a chat box with him. _

_So I decided the only way to get him to talk to me was to visit him. And as stated before, Emmett scared me away with a turkey. A real, live gobbling turkey. Edward begged me to stay but I told him that he should beat up Emmett while I was going home. I really hadn't spent much time at my house and was worried that my mom might be lonely. She could have been sick and I wouldn't have noticed. _

_I sighed. We hadn't gotten anywhere in that relationship. I saw her struggling with herself on whether or not to bond with me. But I guess that side that said not to won. Because I practically didn't exist. At first I was disappointed, hurt, upset, and kind of pissed. But I understood why. So I immersed myself in Edward's presence. _

_But now I missed Jacob. I was so selfish. _

_So I started my car- well, restarted since I was still in it- and pulled out of my driveway. I was just making it around the corner of I-95 when a black Mercedes pulled up alongside my right. That was odd. And it wasn't even in its lane. It was right next to me. Then a large Jeep pulled up on my left. Right next to me. I'd have to be extra careful not to hit them and ruin their paint job. I focused on driving perfectly straight. When a red M3 convertible pulled up in front of me, cutting out of nowhere, I started to get suspicious. A little too late though. _

_The second I saw the silver Volvo behind me I knew I was cornered. Literally. Let's just say that it didn't turn out too pretty. I decided to stop, giving Alice enough time to see that I was going to stop which would give Edward enough time to know that I was going to stop through Edward so that he could stop too. And I did. _

_I stepped on the breaks and got out of the car. I stomped up to his car, which he was getting out of, and started yelling at him. We eventually made up- well, eventually as in 6 minutes later- but I knew that I had still needed to talk to Jacob. _

Now it was still December and 3 failed attempts later. And once again I had just left the Cullen's house to go home before going to school. I had forgotten my phone at my house.

But my last minute decision was to go to La Push. I was on edge the whole time, like any fugitive. When I got to the reservation and had passed the boundary line that Edward had told me about earlier, I relaxed. I was driving by, just looking out the window to find house number 51. Then I saw them.

Motorcycles. One was a shiny red motorcycle and the other was blue. (**I know they're supposed to be broken and beat up, but hey, let a girl have some fun) **and I decided on them. They'd be perfect. And even better was the _For Sale _sign in front.

I screeched to a stop in front and stopped the car. I opened the car door and rang the bell. A young child around the age of 15- okay, he was only one year younger than me, but he was still young- opened it.

"Hello? Who are you?" he asked shyly.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan and I'm interested in buying your bikes."

**ooh so she found those motorcycles!! this chapter was 1,168 words... decent size lol**

**and happy christmas eve!! or to whatever religion you are :) happy holidays **

**there MORE THAN LIKELY will be an update 2moro or really early again this morning**

**and give me a christmas prezzy and review :) **


	24. Grease Stains Don't Fade

**So, Merry Christmas!! or Happy Holidays if you prefer**

**and now i just want to brag on what i got lol. i got: 2 engraved necklaces, a coach purse, a wii set w/ 5 games, and hair stuff, including paul mitchell defrizz that im totally in love with! lol**

**and here's your chapter :) **

**i dont think i'll b dedicating chapters for a while because so many people are gone on break. at first i was offended that i was only getting like 8 reviews, then i realized that people were gone and away w/o internet lol**

I screeched to a stop in front and stopped the car. I opened the car door and rang the bell. A young child around the age of 15- okay, he was only one year younger than me, but he was still young- opened it.

"Hello? Who are you?" he asked shyly.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan and I'm interested in buying your bikes."

**Chapter 24: Grease Stains Don't Fade**

BPOV

"Oh well you see… my mom wanted my dad to get rid of the bikes. But he just got them. And he really didn't want to get rid of them. So… he set the price really high. And I'm sure they're not that good and you can better ones somewhere else. I'm just trying to protect you." He tacked on quickly.

I smiled. "Don't worry about it. I want them. And I'm sure your dad gave you a little…something something to keep costumers away." I smirked when he realized that I had seen right through his pretenses.

"So, how much are you selling them for?" I pressed again.

EPOV

How could she? I was at my house, working on a new composition of music just before school. I wasn't sure what it was yet but all I knew was that Bella, my angel, had been the one to inspire it.

Then I saw Alice's head perk up and she looked straight at me.

_Edward! Bella's going to La Push! Her future is gone! _

I stopped playing. I jumped up and was out to my car as fast as my vampire legs could carry me. I floored the gas pedal and got to the boundary line in under a minute. Then I hopped out of the car, ready to go in and rescue my Bella. If anything happened to her….

But then I stopped. I didn't want to start a war. It would not end well, even if we ended up winning. We'd still have a shortage of people. Well, vampires. So I started pacing. I tried convincing myself she was fine.

Jacob would be able to keep control around her right? But what if he held her hostage? Then my mind started wondering why she went down to la Push in the first place. Did she not love me anymore? Was this her way of saying that she was leaving me for Jake, that smelly, stupid dog?!

I started pacing even faster, my legs blurring. Why had she come down to La Push?

BPOV

I bought the bikes and then asked them if they could deliver them to Jacob's house. It would be a good 'nice-to-see-you-again-after-ten-years' sort of gift. When we did Jacob came running out of the house, his face in a mask of shock.

I hopped out of my Porsche and closed the door loudly, so he'd be aware of my presence.

"Bells?" he didn't seem to believe that I would come down here to see him.

"Hey Jake! How've things been?" I asked, keeping my cool, even though I wanted to run up to him and hug him. He _was_ one of my best friends after all. Ten years, well, nine years, of talking on facebook couldn't change that. Ever.

"Good, good. What are the bikes for?" he asked. He was staring at the bikes with unmistakable lust shining in his eyes.

"Well, I thought I'd get you a 'good-to-see-you-again-after-ten-years' gift." I said, shrugging as if it was nothing. But it was. They were _way_ over priced. And I could tell that that was on purpose by the glare that the dad was giving me when I bought them.

"Oh wow! Thanks Bella! You shouldn't have… but I'm glad you did." He exclaimed.

"Well, I was wondering if you could teach me how to ride." I asked him, shyly. We hadn't really talked to each other face to face in a while and I wasn't sure if a request like that was acceptable. Because I never really asked a request from him. Not when we talked on the phone, facebook, or AIM.

"To ride a motorcycle? Sure I'd love to! Want to take them out for a ride now?"

I hesitated. Was that really how I wanted to spend my reunion with Jacob? And Edward would surely be pissed. Truly pissed. He'd be mad enough that I was skipping school. And that I went to La Push.

But then I decided to the hell with it all. It was my life. I had 4 months left. A small, measly four.

"Sure Jake. Why not?" I asked, giggling softly. Then I hopped onto the blue one and looked up at him. "So, how do I start this thing?"

An hour later, I could finally ride the bike. Kind of. I could get it to start, stop, go straight, and kind of curve. But no big turns. Or jumps. Or reverse. Or stopping suddenly. I had to slowly slow down then get onto a hill to get off. Or the bike would wobble, wobble some more, than topple down on top of me. But that process took 5 seconds.

So now I was covered in grease and I had a shallow scrape on my arms. Oops my bad.

But we had a lot of fun. He showed me around his neighborhood and La Push. This was so much better than school. Which I was failing. But I didn't really care. I had 4 months left of life. Living. And I didn't want to spend any precious time doing _homework_. Disgusting word.

We had a little small talk in between, but I really enjoyed riding with the wind blowing through my hair, whipping past my ears, whistling all the while.

"Bella?" I looked up.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know how to say this but… you're different. More care free. Willingly to do anything." He said.

I was suddenly uncomfortable. "Changed in a good way?"

"Yeah. Definitely." He said, grinning. Maybe he was going to drop the subject now.

"I feel as if you could just go up to Death and stare him in the face and tell him that you're not afraid of him, you know?" he continued. I had trouble swallowing. I didn't want to tell him my secret. And that I was doing exactly what he was saying. I was staring Death in the face and saying that I wasn't afraid.

And now time for a change of subject. I looked up at the sky. The sun looked to be pretty high up.

"Hey Jake, what time is it?"

"Um… I don't have a watch on me. You know, transforming into a wolf and stuff, you don't bring your clothes with you when you do. See, that's why I wear this." He pointed to a black cord wrapped around his ankle. And he was also distracting me from my question.

"Oh okay Jake. Good to know." Not. I rolled my eyes. I decided to reach into my pocked and took out my phone. Oops, it was off. That was not good.

I listened to the familiar ring as it turned on.

_15 missed calls. 3 voicemail messages. _

Crap. That was probably Edward.

"Hey Jake, I've got to go." I said to him. We were standing outside his garage, leaning against my car and drinking soda.

He frowned. "Come on Bells! You can stay for another hour, can't you?" he gave me a puppy dog face. But I frowned and shook my head.

"I'm sorry Jake. Edward's waiting." I said before climbing into my car. But not before I heard his last words.

"Whatever Bella. Pick him over me. I don't care. I don't care what you do anymore! If you crash and die… then, then I don't care!" he shouted and ran inside. My mouth fell open. What was his problem?

I started to drive anyway, refusing to let a single tear surface and run down my cheek. His words rang in my ears. And I knew that no matter how much he apologized, those words would never fade. Just like the grease stains on my pants.

**So... i know that doesnt sound very... Jakish... but.... im not a jake fan, so it was easy to make him say that lol**

**hmm... now, for those of you who have constantly reviewed, u probably know the answer as to whether or not Bella will be changed. and so then i'll ask u a question about it, but if you'd rather not know then say so in ur review. sorry if this is kinda confusing, but i dont want to spoil the end yet i still need help/ answers**

**so, give me a christmas present and REVIEW!! **

**PS- this chapter is about 1,300 words! i have a cutish fluff in chapter 28, about 1800 words :) the chapters are getting longer!! **

**PSS- im sorry i forgot the preview for the last chapter! Kudos to ****kathrynnnn for reminding me!!**

**so, preview:**

_"There's a big sale at Victoria's Secret and we missed it!" she wailed._

**welcome to guess who said that! **

**and any suggestions on peoples POVs that they would like?**

**twilightlady189- its in chapter 29 :)**


	25. A Family's Love

**okay thanks to all my reviewers! im in a hurry just wanted 2 post this first **

I started to drive anyway, refusing to let a single tear surface and run down my cheek. His words rang in my ears. And I knew that no matter how much he apologized, those words would never fade. Just like the grease stains on my pants.

Chapter 25: A Family's Love

EPOV

I saw the yellow Porsche shoot forward from the woods, driving at about 120 miles an hour. She wasn't kidding when she said she drove fast.

I don't think she saw me so I jumped into my Volvo and sped after her. From the brief glimpse of her face, she seemed to be upset about something. I was surprised when she drove right to my house. I smiled at that. She'd rather be at my house- no, our house- then her mother's house.

She screeched to a stop that couldn't be good for the car before rushing through the door. I guess she was too distracted to notice that I was right behind her. At least, that's what I told myself. She wouldn't talk to my family if she was leaving me for Jacob, right? I was nervous. I wasn't an angel- I killed people. But she was. God probably acknowledged by now that I didn't deserve Bella, the angel that she was.

I stopped my car and ran into the house after her. She was at the threshold between the family room and the entrance hall. Everyone was waiting in the family room because Alice said that Bella was going to rush into the house. And they would have been there even if Alice hadn't told them. No one would wreck their tires like Bella had without reason.

I wrapped my arms around her from behind- she needed to calm down. I looked at Jasper's mind and he noticed that she seemed agitated, upset, and hurt. Those weren't good emotions.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked her. She simply looked at me with frightened, wide eyes. She took a deep breath before saying what I was sure was going to be my doom. The words that would break my heart.

JPOV

Edward was such a drama king! He looked as if Bella was going to leave him. Ha! As if she'd ever do that. He had no idea how dependent she had become on him.

"There's a big sale at Victoria's Secret and we missed it!" she wailed. Huh? Now that was unexpected. She wouldn't feel hurt or agitated over that. Maybe upset…but that was how my Alice mainly felt over that type of thing.

My whole family narrowed our eyes at her. She wasn't very good at lying. There was an icy, uncomfortable silence. We knew she was lying. She knew that we knew she was lying but wasn't going to tell us.

So Emmett, being the great, dumb teddy bear we'd all come to love, shouted. "Alice! How could you not tell Rosalie about that? There was some really cute pink lingerie that would look so hot on her!"

And an even more awkward silence followed. Rosalie smacked him on the head before sending an apologetic look at Bella. Those two hadn't become best friends, but they were friends and could get along.

"I should get going. My mom's going to be worried." Bella finally said. But I could see that she longed to be held in someone's arms and be told that whatever she wasn't telling us would be okay. But we didn't know what she wasn't telling us- obviously. But even Alice didn't know. It was probably something to do with those _dogs_ in La Push.

Yea, that made sense. Since Edward was down at La Push, pacing because Bella was across the boundary line. We had all been on edge. What if she had gotten hurt down there? So now that we knew it was something to do with Jacob, everyone's hands were clenched in fists.

And then I noticed it. The scrape on Bella's arm. The blood was already dried but it was still there. I squeezed my eyes closed and held my breath. Edward's eyes snapped over my still, tense form.

"Jasper." He said. He wanted me to go hunting. I nodded. I needed to. I wouldn't want to hurt Bella. Edward, well, the whole family- would kill me.

I jumped up and I felt Alice following behind me. I smiled. She was so sweet.

RPOV

Poor Bella! She looked like she wanted to cry. Like she was hurt and betrayed by someone.

I don't know why I suddenly felt protective of Bella, but she looked so innocent, so vulnerable standing there, shaking. I wanted to wrap my arms around her. So I got up and did.

I pulled her onto my lap and hugged her. I could tell she needed it because she put her face onto my shoulder and cried. I felt maternal of her. We hadn't ever been the best of friends, but it was because I felt she was intruding and trying to take my spotlight, much as I hated to admit it. But she was so… vulnerable and…well, weak compared to us.

She needed a mother. Because her mother obviously wasn't doing her job too well. And I had always wanted a child. So what better opportunity than this? And it felt so right. To be a mother. To hold a child. If I could cry, I knew I would. I didn't know Bella that well, but it was if I could feel her pain. And I wanted to kill whoever made her like this. Crying her eyes out. She _never_ cried, not if she could help it.

"Shh Bella, it's okay. Don't' worry." I said. Everyone got up to leave. I barely noticed. I only had eyes for the young woman in front of me, who longed for nothing more than love.

EPOV

I wanted to kill whoever had made Bella cry her eyes out. She looked so miserable. And it didn't help that she wasn't telling us what was wrong. But I had to have been something big. Because Bella never cried.

"Esme, Carlisle. Can I talk to you?" I asked. I needed to talk to them about Bella. They nodded and followed me out of the room. Emmett seemed unsure as to what to do.

"Why don't you go do some online shopping at Victoria's Secret for Rosalie?" I suggested.

He thought it over before nodding excitedly and bounding up the stairs. I shook my head. And he thought I was gay?

Then I remembered why I had asked to talk to Esme and Carlisle.

"Mom, Dad. Seeing Bella like that…so vulnerable, so…defenseless! It makes my blood boil. I want to change her into a vampire, to live among us so bad. I don't want to lose her. Ever. But that makes me feel so selfish. But… I can't just… let her die. And she won't even talk to me about it. How do I get her to make up her mind…without forcing her into anything? And how can she even make the right choice…if _I'm_ not even sure what that is?"

Esme put a hand on my shoulder. "Son. You need to talk to her yourself. But not just on the ride to school. A good few hours. But I can tell you this. She's afraid."

Of what? Of me? I voiced my concerns.

Carlisle answered this time. "No son. Of losing you. And she's afraid of living for eternity without you. Living for a year without her father has really been hard on her. But if she was changed and something happened to you…let's just say she wouldn't exactly want to live. And she'd find some way or another to wipe herself off the face of the Earth." He said.

A world without Bella didn't seem plausible. It would never happen. And then and there I made up my mind. For once, I'd be selfish. She needed to live. To know, to trust, that I would never leave her. To learn a mother's love. A family's love.

Now I just needed to know how to agree to becoming a vampire without forcing her. I'd need Alice for that. So I sat back, listening to Bella's heart-wrenching sobs, and waited for Alice to come back.

**in a hurry still. this chapters 1400 words!! yay lol**

**so PLS REVIEW after all the trouble im going 2 get in2 4 holding every1 up lol**


	26. Dying is Easy, Living is Hard

**Thanks to all my reviewers! Your help is very much appreciated!!**

**AND I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: Foam Weber thanks so much for your support!**

Now I just needed to know how to agree to becoming a vampire without forcing her. I'd need Alice for that. So I sat back, listening to Bella's heart-wrenching sobs, and waited for Alice to come back.

**Chapter 26: Dying is easy, Living is Hard**

APOV

The second I stepped into the house, Edward pounced on me. It was expected though. I _was_ physic after all.

"Alice I need your help." Edward said. I nodded. I knew what he was going to ask. He wanted me to persuade our little Bella to become one of us. And that was going to be hard. She was so stubborn.

"Edward, I'll try. But… even I don't know what she'll choose. She's a yes then a no then a yes then a no. She's got to be the first person to be able to take me by surprise." I scowled at the memory that happened just earlier today. When her future just… disappeared. Surprising me.

"Is that all you can do? Or can you maybe possibly do more? A more…definite…answer."

Aww! He was so cute when he was insecure! Oops sorry Edward you weren't supposed to hear that! He just scowled at me.

I headed towards the stairs. Bella was going to wake up in 1 minute and 18 seconds.

"Oh and Edward." He turned to look at me. "Don't you dare listen in on our conversation. It's private and personal. So leave the house if you must." He just nodded and headed to his grand piano.

Then I continued up the stairs at human pace. She was in the guest room on the third floor across from Edward's room. Placed there while Edward was talking to our parents and I was out hunting with Jasper. I smiled at how Rosalie seemed to have suddenly accepted Bella. She really was a good person, just a little… untrusting. But once you were on her good side, you were her friend for life. Or eternity in our case.

53 seconds and I was on the second set of stairs. 18 seconds. I was bored of having to walk so slow. But it would pass time. 5 seconds. I was finally outside her bedroom door. 4... 3… 2… 1. Finally! I burst through her door.

"Bella! We need to talk. Now." I said, closing the door behind me.

Bella was just waking up, just like I had predicted. She was still very groggy.

"Alice!" she groaned. She obviously wanted time to actually wake up before diving right into a conversation.

"Bella. This is important. And time's running out." I said. And it was. 4 months. Just 4 measly months of Bella being on this earth. Well, as a human at least.

I still didn't see a vision of Bella as a vampire. But I had just yesterday.

"I'm sure we can make time later Alice." She whined.

I shook my head. "Bella. Your breaths are limited. I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Why don't you want to be a vampire?"

"Because…it goes against the-the uh… will of uh… God. You know, I used to be very religious. Catholic you know. And you and your family are not natural and defy God's um… will."

I had totally thrown her off guard. She really wasn't prepared for it. She had just woken up after all. So her lie would suck. And that was exactly what I was aiming for. The truth. I would believe it when she told it to me. Without the bull crap of saying it was against God.

I snorted. "Bella, we both know that that is bull crap. Tell me the truth." I said. I saw her pale visibly.

"Alice. Can we please not talk about this now. Please?" she begged. I shook my head. She could be stubborn but so could I.

"Bella. You need to tell me. Now. So we can make preparations. If you don't want to be a vampire, say so and I'll start picking out coffin designs." I said bluntly. I heard Edward growl at me from downstairs.

_You shouldn't be listening brother dear! Go out and hunt! Now!_ I hissed at him in my head. I could tell that he wasn't going to leave. But he wasn't going to listen in on our conversation once we got to the… intimate details.

There was a long silence. Bella was debating whether or not to tell me. And I wasn't going to leave until she did.

"Alice." She said in a weakened voice. And there she went surprising me again. She was always so confident, strong, prepared. But now she open, opening up her fears to me. And she was weakened and defenseless now. All barriers down.

"Alice." She repeated in the same tone. "My father and I… we were close. Really close. He was always there for me. If I got a bad grade. If I broke up with my boyfriend. When Renee would yell at me for not adequately fulfilling my job as a daughter. He was my father. My protector. My best friend. The person I could trust with my life."

She paused. I could see the tears building up. And I suddenly felt guilty. It still hurt her. The loss of her father.

"When I was behind him that day… I felt that God was punishing me for something. For… not being a good daughter. Maybe what Renee had been saying to me was true. But then I realized how selfish that was. That God was targeting me. Plain, insignificant me. Why would he kill Charlie? He was a wonderful man. So once I knew that it wasn't God's fault, I threw myself into my Church. I went to every fundraiser, every service, every mass. I donated thousands of dollars every year. I withdrew from my social life. From my friends.

My mom… she just withdrew even more than before. We had never been friends. Not really. She always had such high standards for me. A lot of times… I feel like she saw me as a mistake. Someone that just interrupted her life. I think she blames me for my father's death. She probably thought that I had done a bad deed and that He was punishing me.

But living through those days, without my father, without anyone to talk to except God, they were excruciating. I wanted to die. But suicide will land you in Hell. So I didn't. But dying would be so much easier than living.

That was part of the reason why I wasn't completely devastated by the fact that I was going to die in 6 months. I would no longer have to live through the agony of no father, a mother who hates me, and no friends. Maybe God was answering my wishes.

I vowed to myself after my father's death that I would never get close to anyone again. Then I wouldn't be hurt. If I let no one in, then no one would be close enough to stab me in the heart.

But when I moved here, something about you just drew me in. I guess I sensed the danger and wanted to get closer, to be closer. And then maybe my life would be over sooner. And my suffering would be over. But I befriend all of you. And I was happy. The happiest that I had been in a year. But how could I be happy when I might have been the cause of the death of my father? A wonderful man who didn't deserve to die so soon."

By now tears were streaming down her cheeks. I went up to her and wrapped my arms around her.

"Don't think like that Bella. You should know that that is NOT the truth. It had nothing to do with you." I assured her. She didn't make any move of acceptance of the fact but just continued with her story.

"But I remembered the vow I had made. I couldn't get close to you. I couldn't hurt you. so knew I had to leave. To protect you. But also to protect me. I didn't want to get hurt again.

So that brings us to the topic of our conversation. I can't be a vampire. You live forever. For eternity. What if one of you was to get hurt? What if Edward was to die? Or if he didn't want me anymore? If any of you didn't want me anymore? Then I wouldn't know what to do. I would want to die. And you vampire's don't die easily. And I'd have to live for eternity knowing that I wasn't wanted. Or living through life without you. No sleep to take away some of the pain. Just wandering around the Earth forever… taking the pain with me.

And if I was to die, then maybe I could see my dad again. Tell him that I miss him. Be able to hug him again. Be in the arms of my father again. Someone who loves me. And I know that you and your family loves me… but it's not quite the same as a father's love, the father who was present at your birth and watched you grow up. And if I would have to live forever, eternity, with the pain of my lost father. Dying is easy. Living his hard."

She had finished and snuggled deeper into her blankets. I was shocked. Most of what she said was true. But she needed to know that living had its perks. Happy moments, loving people, being loved.

But she also needed to want to be changed into a vampire for her. Not because she didn't want to hurt Edward or our family. And that was going to be the hardest part of convincing her.

**So, I know that there is alot of... scheming, angst, going on, but there IS a BellaXEdward moment soon. It's actually called Make-out Meadow. That's what happens when you eat too many candycanes. **

**And then Chapter 30, believe it or not, is called Big Emmett, Little Emmett, that's what happens when you're up at 1:00 am to finish writing chapter 30. **

**So, PLEASE REVIEW!! **

**Oh and alot of people want Rosalie's POV. I've written her in many chapters but are there certain things you want her to be thinking/ doing? I may not be able to incorporate everyone's ideas, but probably most of them. **

**And this chapter is 1,660 without the Author's Notes!**

**And preview: **

_She frowned. "You put on a good show, but I can guess that you're suffering more than you've ever let on. Your father's death is not your fault. He wants you to be happy. To want to live life. To be vibrant and young. If you could talk to him, I know he would say that he is so proud of you, that he loves you, and he would make one request of you."_

_"What?" I asked. I would do anything and everything for my father._

_"To never forget him." Alice said quietly._

**okay, sad, yes, but ALOT of Rosalie. Alot of you like her as the kind Rosalie and so do I. So she's going to remain kind :)**

**And PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	27. Feels So Right

**So thanks for your reviews!! and i dedicate this chapter, hands down, to Bubbly4edward thanks so much!!**

**and trust me, the story lightens up :) **

**this is alot of RPOV as you've all been asking for, so here you go!**

But she also needed to want to be changed into a vampire for her. Not because she didn't want to hurt Edward or our family. And that was going to be the hardest part of convincing her.

**Chapter 27: Feels so right**

BPOV

I had just spilled my whole entire story to Alice. Put my heart on the line. I put down the myriad number of walls I had put up. I laid out my life, my heart, my _sanity_ out in front of Alice. And all she could do was gape.

So I snuggled back into the covers, prepared to go back to sleep. But she stopped me from falling asleep.

"Bella. We would never leave you. Edward would never dream of it. Even if he could dream of it." She started. I sighed. I really didn't want to talk about this right now.

"Your father, he would be proud of you right now. You've grown into a wonderful young woman who's confident, intelligent, caring, and beautiful. But you need to grasp the fact that he's gone. He wouldn't want you to die because you want to join him. Your past after he… died… might have been a bit shady, but that's understandable.

But now you're happy and in love. I can tell by the healthy glow of your skin, the sparkle in your eyes. And he would want you to be happy. He doesn't want you to be wanting to join him. To prevent yourself from being happy because he's gone."

She frowned. "You put on a good show, but I can guess that you're suffering more than you've ever let on. Your father's death is not your fault. He wants you to be happy. To want to live life. To be vibrant and young. If you could talk to him, I know he would say that he is so proud of you, that he loves you, and he would make one request of you."

"What?" I asked. I would do anything and everything for my father.

"To never forget him." Alice said quietly.

I felt myself lose control again. The tears slipped down my cheeks, running in rivulets down my face. And I knew Alice was right. She always was.

"I would never, ever be able to forget him." I whispered in a strangled voice. And she hugged me again.

"Bella. You need to be able to want to become a vampire for you. Not because you're afraid to hurt us. Don't you want to live your life? Don't you want to turn 17? To see the world? To be loved by a family? To explore the relationship of two lovers? Bella, there's so much out in there in the world! And by not becoming a vampire, you're choosing wrong!" she exclaimed. I was slightly shocked by her outburst.

"Sorry Bella. I love you. And I want to be able to greet you each morning, each day, knowing that I would be able to see you again the next day. It kills me not knowing whether or not I will see you in 5 months. But you need to make your choice soon. Time's running out. If you procrastinate, you will find yourself on your death bed, unsure of whether or not you want to pursue the wonders of life, or fall asleep into the deep and dreamless sleep of death."

Alice finished, kissing my forehead and leaving. "Rosalie wants to talk to you too Bella, if you don't mind." She said as she drifted out.

I sighed as I lay back in my bed. Rosalie hated me. But why she had hugged me after my encounter with Jacob was completely and totally unknown to me.

"Bella?" Rosalie's soft voice drifted over to where I lay.

"Hey Rose."

"Bella, I'd like to talk to you. And apologize."

My mouth was gaping open by now. First she comforts me, now she's apologizing?

"Bella. I haven't been fair to you. And I'm sorry. At first, I thought you were intruding. And I've already apologized for that. But then, I was mad. Not at you. No, the world. Here you were, a lovely girl who was ready to take life on. But life decided to knock you out in one blow in just 4 months as of now.

And I was mad. How could that happen to someone like you? And then you had a mom. I know I have Esme, she's the best mother you could really ever ask for. But…it's not really the same as a mother's love that has seen you grow up. Take your first steps into the world.

I was angry at your mom for ignoring you. For placing you second. Here you were, a wonderful girl, just seeking her love, and she pretended you were merely another guest in her house and heart.

And I was jealous. You had the opportunity to give birth to kids. Many, beautiful kids. Like I had always wanted. But once again, life took that away from you. And I was mad. I wanted to see you grow up, holding your first child. I almost felt that I was _your_ fault, even though I knew it wasn't.

And then that brings me to my next thing. You've taken a place in our lives Bella. And I've never had something against you. I've just had something against the fate that has been unfairly placed upon you.

So when I saw you crying earlier, I felt a pain in my heart. Like I wanted, needed to reach out and comfort you, protect you from the force that could cause you so much pain. I saw you as my child. The child I always wanted." she said shyly.

I was stunned. Shocked. Completely taken off guard. Wow that was a surprise. And I hated surprise. But I was surprised- see, they just keep coming back, surprise surprise!- to see that I _wanted _Rosalie as a second mom. Well, third mom since Esme was still in the picture.

"Rosalie. I really needed that. And I'd like to thank you for that. It means a lot. To know that you'll be there. And I would really like to view you as my third mom, including Esme. It feels… so, so nice to have someone there. To have someone tell you that, that they'll be there for you when they need you." and I found myself sobbing at the end.

RPOV

I pulled her into my arms again. I realized how much she really needed a mom. Someone who cared. She put on a brave façade that she was strong and that she could get through life, no problems.

But her true parent, who truly cared, died when she was 15. And now she really was just a little 15 year old girl who needed her mom.

"Sh.. Bella. It's okay. I'll always be here. Always." She needed to know that she could always come to me. That I'd be there for her. As a mother for her child.

And I suddenly felt more complete than I had in a long time. Like I had someone to look after. To take care of. I smiled. I liked it, the warm fuzzy feeling that spread through my body.

But I knew why I had come here to talk to her. And I needed to talk to her. It was important and couldn't be ignored much longer.

"And that brings us to our next point. Normally I'd tell you why you needed to stay human. To have a bunch of little human babies, like I was supposed to… but no one gets their happy ending. If we did, then we'd be buried 8 feet under, in our graves at last. But you're dying Bella. You have 4 months. And Edward… our family… can't live without you."

And as I said that, I realized the truth of my words. She _was _like the paste that held us together. A new target for Emmett to tease, a true love for Edward, another daughter for Emse and Carlisle, a new daughter for _me_, a new friend that Alice desperately wanted to befriend, and… I didn't know what she was to Jasper. But I was sure it was something important.

"Rosalie." Her voice finally croaked out. "I'm scared. I'm so so scared. What will it be like, dying? Does it hurt? Leaving this world? Is being reunited with Charlie really worth it? I'm… I'm _afraid._ And Death… that's one fear that I can't stand up to." She whispered.

I knew she was afraid of being scared. She needn't be. I hugged her closer to me. It still felt so right.

"Bella dear, being one of the eternal damned isn't exactly a joy ride. But you're so young. And you don't deserve to die. You shouldn't. You can't. You need to build memories. Learn what a mother's love really is like. A lover's love. A sister's love. A brother's love. A _family's _love And we love you.

And since you'll never have the chance to have children, then why shouldn't you become one of us?" I finished.

"Why not?" she whispered, as if suddenly defeated. And she closed her eyes, resting her head against my shoulder. And I sighed. It felt so right.

**Okay so the next chapter is light Bella and Edward fluff! **

**And this chapter is 1,551 words without the author's note!! I feel so proud of myself! **

**And now I have a mini-poll in my author's note! **

****For chapter 32: Tampons and Toads (don't ask lol), there's a little bet between a certain Emmett and Bella. Who should win? I'm not going to tell you what it's about but the winner gets eternal bragging rights and $200. It's actually a pretty lame bet, but only Emmett could pull it off :)**

**and preview for next chapter: Make-Out Meadow: **

_And before I knew it, he had pounced. He was tickling every inch of my body that he could reach. "Edward! Ha ha! Edward, stop!" I barely gasped out from all my laughing. I was extremely vulnerable to tickle attacks. _

_I looked up. His face was inches from mine. My breath caught in my throat. His topaz eyes glittered, reflecting the sunlight from above. They gazed intensely at me, filled with love, as if I was the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on. And in that second I knew that he truly loved me. _

**So PLEASE REVIEW!! and I'm so happy that people are coming back from vacation! lol**


	28. Make Out Meadow

**Thanks so much to my reviewers!! I got 30 reviews!! **

**I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: June-Avatar11! Thanks! **

**and thanks to those of you who 'voted'! It really helped me with Chapter 33**

_And since you'll never have the chance to have children, then why shouldn't you become one of us?" I finished._

_"Why not?" she whispered, as if suddenly defeated. And she closed her eyes, resting her head against my shoulder. And I sighed. It felt so right._

**Chapter 28: Make-out Meadow**

Emmett POV

Just because Edward wasn't allowed to listen in on the girl's conversation didn't mean that I wasn't. And as I listened to Rosalie, I noticed her tone seemed lighter, happier. She was always so… sad because she had always wanted a child to take care of. And I guess she saw Bella that way.

Then I saw Alice giggling. "What?" I asked her. What was so funny?

"Oh nothing." She said in a sing song voice. I narrowed my eyes. She was up to something. But she just looked back, innocently.

"Alice!" I whined at her. I hated being left out of the loop.

"Fine, I'll tell you." I felt my whole face brighten up. Yes! "But not now." And she smirked, sauntering off. I scowled. Damn pixie!

"Hey Edward." I said as he brushed past me. What was his problem?

"Damn werewolf. That's why she's crying Emmett! I can't see how we missed that." And he scowled again. And it did make sense. Bella's on _their _land and then comes back crying. Whose fault is that? Jacob.

I growled. That dog was going to pay.

Then I saw Rosalie come down the stairs. And she was absolutely glowing.

"Hey baby! You look good."

"Thanks Em. I feel… great. I don't know how to explain it. I feel so… so complete!" she said before throwing herself at me, hugging me. I smiled. God, I loved this woman. And what she could do. She laughed as she tugged me into our bedroom upstairs, pushing me down onto the bed.

EPOV

Alice was blocking me. Again. Singing a song by the Jonas Brothers. Again.

I growled. "Alice! Why are you blocking me?" I said in my normal voice, not wanting to wake Bella. She was sleeping. And I knew she could hear me.

_Oh nothing brother dearest._ Before returning to annoying the hell out of me. No matter how much I loved my sister, sometimes she could be so annoying.

And then there was Emmett and Rosalie. Not only could I _hear_ them, I could _see_ it too through their minds. And it's not as easy as it seems to block their minds. They were just so loud! I gritted my teeth. I could either A) grimace and bear it and wait for Bella to wake up or B) go hunting and have the possibility to miss Bella waking up.

I was about to ask Alice when Bella was going to wake up but, being able to see the future and that I was going to ask, answered. _In 10 minutes Edward. If you go hunting, you'll miss her waking up. And I think she'll want you there. So, I suggest you grimace and bear it._ And then it was back to the Jonas Brothers. I winced.

I got out my Ipod and blasted it through my ears, trying to ignore the sounds from Emmett and Rosalie's bedroom and from my sister's obnoxious singing.

Ten minutes later of unsuccessfully blocking out the thoughts of my siblings, I went to Bella's room. She was just waking up. And she looked like an angel. She was sitting up in bed, stretching. She didn't notice me at the doorway.

"Bella." I said softly. I knew she heard me because she froze, dropped her arms, then looked down. She refused to meet my eyes. Was she mad at me? What did I do? How could I fix it?

"Edward." She said softly. If I wasn't a vampire, I wouldn't have heard it. She still wouldn't meet my gaze. I knew I needed to take her mind off the conversations she had with Rosalie and Alice.

"Bella, why don't we go out? I know the perfect place to go." I said. She looked up at me, confused. "Don't worry Bella." And then I threw her onto my back, earning a strangled cry from her. I chuckled before dashing outside. I was taking her to my meadow.

BPOV

He threw me onto his back all of a sudden. I let a cry; I was taken off guard. We-well, he- ran through the forest so quickly that the trees were all a blur as they passed by. I kept my eyes open even though the wind stung them. I wanted to see everything in life now. I wasn't going to close my eyes to something because of a silly thing called fear.

When we stopped abruptly, we were in a meadow that was scattered with wild flower. Vibrant purples from the violets, glowing golden from the buttercups that were interlaced with the purple. It was so calm and peaceful. I dropped from Edward's back, my breath rushing out in a rush. It was beautiful.

"Edward." I whispered. I didn't know what to say. Simply saying that it was gorgeous was an understatement. Amazing didn't even begin to cover it. "I don't know what to say."

"If you don't like it, we can always go home Bella." He said, sounding a little hurt. He really didn't seem to know me that well. I didn't like it. I _loved_ it.

"I loved it Edward. It's perfect." I said, my eyes starting to glaze over. I was so… honored that he would bring me here. It was obvious that it was private and that his family didn't know about it. He didn't tell me that but… I had an intuition that that was the case. He was a very private person.

A huge smile broke over his face. "I'm glad you love it Bella. But its beauty is dulled in comparison to you." he said. I smiled. he was so sweet. Even though he was wrong.

I walked over to the middle of the meadow and collapsed. I was so tired. I opened my fingers to feel the stems of the wild flowers in between them, letting the sunlight wash over my face. I closed my eyes. I heard Edward's sudden intake of breath. I frowned. Was something wrong?

I opened my eyes and propped myself up on my elbows. And then I was the one taking a sudden intake of breath. He was glorious.

His shirt was open and his chest muscles glittered in the sunlight like a thousand diamonds. His whole body was sparkling. He stopped suddenly, his body portraying that of a calm man, but his eyes betraying him, the undercurrent emotion of fear obvious. What was he afraid of?

"Edward?" Was he okay? "What are you afraid of? It's okay." I said gently.

"I'm sorry Bella." He said so softly that I almost missed it. "I don't mean to frighten you." he said slowly. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Edward, why would I be afraid of you?" I was truly confused now. I knew that he was the most dangerous predator but I knew that he would never hurt me. He loved me too much to do that.

Now it was his turn for his brow to furrow in confusion. "Bella." He said this slowly as if speaking to a mentally incapacitated person. And, I guess, compared to him, I was. "Bella. Most people, when they see someone sparkling in the sunlight, they're first reaction is fear."

I laughed. I already knew he was a vampire. I was merely taken by surprise.

"Edward. I already know what you are. And I'm not afraid of you. You love me too much. The fact that you sparkle in the sunlight is just… a surprise. A pleasant surprise. You know, you're really not as scary as you think you are." I tacked on at the end.

Then his lips curved up into a smile. "You really shouldn't have said that."

And before I knew it, he had pounced. He was tickling every inch of my body that he could reach. "Edward! Ha ha! Edward, stop!" I barely gasped out from all my laughing. I was extremely vulnerable to tickle attacks.

I looked up. His face was inches from mine. My breath caught in my throat. His topaz eyes glittered, reflecting the sunlight from above. They gazed intensely at me, filled with love, as if I was the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on. And in that second I knew that he truly loved me.

"Edward." I breathed out, before his cold, marble lips crashed onto mine. If I had it my way, I would spend most of my time kissing Edward. But he was always saying some nonsense about boundaries. I smiled against his lips as they moved against mine, perfectly in sync with mine.

My breath was coming out in ragged gasps and my head was starting to feel light headed. But I ignored that and tried to pull myself closer to him. Nothing in the world compared to the feeling that I was experiencing right now.

He pulled away, all too soon for my liking. "Ah Bella." He said, smirking. I sighed. I knew what he was going to say. Even more nonsense about boundaries and those imaginary lines that we weren't to cross. And he knew that I knew he was going to say that. His smirk grew even more pronounced.

And then it disappeared, to be replaced by that crooked grin I loved so much. "I love you Bella." He whispered softly into my ear. I shuddered from pleasure.

"I know." And I crashed my lips onto his again.

**Aww Bella and Edward fluff! I wrote this on Christmas Eve at 12 am, so technically Christmas Day, when I had just ate about 5 candy-canes. **

**Which leads me to Chapter 33: Big Bird. Thanks to all of you who voted! **

**(This Chapter is 1,651 words without the Author's Note! I don't know why I tell you this... hmmm....)**

**And preview for Chapter 29: Emmett's Not So Funny Joke **

_"Edward, just because I'm dying in 4 months doesn't mean that that joke would be inappropriate. And it is pretty funny." She said in a tone much calmer than Edward's. _

_"Really?" he asked in disbelief. Was it really so hard to believer that one of my jokes was funny?_

_"No. I just didn't want him to feel bad."_

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	29. Emmett's Not So Funny Joke

**Thanks so much to my reviewers!! Especially oceanlover14! But we'll get to that in chapter 34 :)**

**and I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: Living. The. Lie :) Thank You!**

And then it disappeared, to be replaced by that crooked grin I loved so much. "I love you Bella." He whispered softly into my ear. I shuddered from pleasure.

"I know." And I crashed my lips onto his again.

**Chapter 29: Emmett's Not so Funny Joke**

Emmett POV (this is for you twilightlady189! Though I will admit I'm really not that funny...)

So when Edward brought my little sister back from his meadow that he thought no one knew about-even though everyone really did know about it, we just pretended that we didn't- I knew I had to talk to her. Her face was flushed, probably from the… activities that they were doing in the meadow.

Everyone was gathering in the living room because I said I had an 'important announcement' to make.

"Okay, so there was this couple, right? And they were debating on what type of car to get. A truck or a sports car. The wife wanted to get a fast car, one that would 'go from 0 to 200 in 4 seconds or less.' Now, the husband would have gotten her one of those cars but it was way out of their price range. But she was like 'you know, my birthday's coming up soon. You could surprise me.' So for her birthday, guess what he got her?"

I was met by silence. But I didn't let that burst my bubble.

"He got her a brand new bathroom scale." I deepened my voice, as if reading from a letter. "'Services will be at Downing Funeral Home on Monday the 12th. Due to the condition of the body, this will be a closed casket service. Please send your donations to the "Think Before You Say Things To Your Wife Foundation.'"

I was met by silence. Everyone just stared at me. I was chortling all the while. Just because _they_ thought it wasn't funny didn't mean it wasn't funny. And it was. I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head from my wife, Rose.

"Ow! That hurt Rose!" and it did. But it wasn't a surprise- for someone so feisty, I expected her to be able to pack a punch. Well, a smack.

"That wasn't funny Emmett!" she hissed at me. Edward and Rose were glaring at me. Carlisle and Esme were looking down, well up, at me with disapproving looks. Jasper seemed unsure as what to do. And Alice…s eh was Alice. No more said there. But Bela, she was laughing. Silently. With tears running down her face from laughing so hard. Unless those were actual tears…

"Emmett you idiot!" Rose hissed at me again.

"What? It was a joke."

"A joke about death!" she seethed.

Then Bella spoke up. Her voice shook. "A joke about death that was hilarious!" she said, before turning to go to the kitchen for a snack. Edward followed her, mouth gaping open about her reaction.

I heard their conversation in the kitchen. Unfortunately.

"Did you really think Emmett's joke was funny? Appropriate?" Edward was still pretty pissed over it. Still.

"Edward, just because I'm dying in 4 months doesn't mean that that joke would be inappropriate. And it is pretty funny." She said in a tone much calmer than Edwar'ds.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. Was it really so hard to believe that one of my jokes was funny?

"No. I just didn't want him to feel bad.' Bella said. And my heart, and ego, completely deflated.

Of course, everyone heard this and burst out into laughter.

"Crap! Sorry Emmett!" Bella shouted over to me. That just made them laugh even harder. Oh sure, _that _was funny. It was nothing compared to my joke.

"Emmett, yea, it _was_ funny. And it _was_ a lot better than your joke." Edward said. I frowned. Hm… I needed an even better kick ass joke.

"Oh okay! I know! So there was this guy—"

I was cut off by Jasper. "Emmett. I'm sorry, but we really _don't _want to hear this."

I frowned again. Wasn't he supposed to be the nice brother?

APOV

I smiled. Poor Emmett.

Which only reminded me on how he was asking about my plan just earlier today. On how my amazing plan about Rosalie… and Bella…. And mom…. I knew it all along.

"Alice." Edward's voice rang through the house like steel. Normally, this frightened people. But not me. I _was_ Alice after all. I just smiled.

"Edward!" I heard Bella scold him. I smiled. She sure knew how to keep him on a tight leash. But then again, that's what us Cullen women specialized in.

And then I froze. I was getting another vision.

_Bella with bright red eyes. _

_Bella with topaz eyes…._

_Edward kneeling on the ground in front of Bella._

_Bella smiling. _

_Bella walking down an isle in a white dress, looking gorgeous. _

_Then it all disappeared. _

And I knew that only happened when a certain someone, well, some_thing_ interrupted. That stupid dog! I was going to find a way to stop him from crashing their wedding.

EPOV

"So Bella." I was sitting on my bed, Bella sitting on my lap. I was twirling a strand of her hair around my finger. The feeling of the silky strands felt amazing. But not nearly as amazing as the feeling of her lips against mine. And I'd love to kiss her. It was one of my favorite activities. But there were boundaries and lines. That I would refuse to cross. If I ever hurt her… I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"What did Jacob say to you this afternoon?" by now it was evening and the sun was down.

I felt her stiffen. "Edward… Jacob… is having… problems with the fact that I am… so intimately… connected with vampires, his enemy. I know that he didn't mean any of the things that he said today… but they still hurt." She said, burying her head in my shoulder.

I pulled her closer to me, momentarily fighting my first reaction. To kill the dog that had hurt her earlier.

"Bella, I love you. And I want what's best for you. So… I'm saying this out of love. Please, please stay away from him." I begged.

I was surprised when she didn't agree in a second like I expected her to. He had hurt her really badly earlier today.

"Edward. As much as I would love to agree to that, I can't. I love you. But… Jacob really is a good person. And I know he didn't mean what he said today." She said before leaning into me, sighing.

I sighed. She always placed other people before herself. It was such a sweet, caring thing to do. But sometimes it could be so frustrating. It really made protecting her that much harder. But I would do everything in my power and more to keep her safe. Especially from that _dog. _

**Okay I'm sorry it's kind of short!! And it might seem that it's going to get all dark and dangerous because of the end, but it's not! I promise!! **

**The next chapter, Chapter 30 is called Big Emmett, Little Emmett and then in Chapter 32 he makes a bet with Bella**

**So, preview: **

_It had to do with the fact that Edward was a 100 year old virgin. Well, older than that but I don't want to go into the details._

**I wanted to give away more, but then I'd have to give away a larger part of the conversation. Well, the gist of the conversation.**

**Hm... Next chapter is a little more than a sexual innuendo but no cursing or lemons, but should I change my rating to M? **

**And please don't forget to REVIEW!! **


	30. Big Emmett, Little Emmett

**So I've decided to keep this story rated T because there are no lemons. So thanks to all of you who reviewed!**

**And I would like to DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: twilightfan1313 thank you!**

_I sighed. She always placed other people before herself. It was such a sweet, caring thing to do. But sometimes it could be so frustrating. It really made protecting her that much harder. But I would do everything in my power and more to keep her safe. Especially from that dog. _

Chapter 30: Big Emmett, Little Emmett

RPOV

Edward better be able to stop Bella from visiting those… volatile dogs.

But she needed to go home. To her… mom. I hated to say it, or even think it. Renee was an awful mother. In my opinion, an awful person. How could anyone ignore the beautiful woman that Bella had grown up to be? Hmm… Maybe having a talk with her could change that. But then again, I loved having Bella in my arms as if she was my daughter.

I would like to believe that she was. With her spicy personality, brown curly from Emmett, deep, curious eyes…

But it hurt her that her mother ignored her. And I didn't want to see my baby hurt. It hurt me. So that was when I decided to talk to Renee. And make her feel guilty about what she had been missing. And that made me feel smug. That lady could have all the children she wanted but she could never have Bella. Never take the time to know her fully. She was my daughter now.

I heard Alice's squeal downstairs and smiled. Since she squealed… it must have been because something good was going to happen, right?

But today was old. It was almost seven. So I'd talk to her tomorrow, after school. With my mind set, I smiled and decided to find Emmett. I'd found myself very… frustrated lately.

BPOV

I knew Rosalie had something on her mind when I walked downstairs from Edward's room to my car. Well, she was busy at the moment doing something that I really didn't want to know what it was with Emmett. But when I had last seen her… her mind seemed set, and a little smug about something.

I sighed and looked at the time. Six fifty-six. I needed to get home. Not that Renee cared. But I wanted to go home. Today had been a long day. I sat up, groaning. I wanted to stay where I was and fall asleep. But at the same time, I wanted to be alone and sleep in my own bed. Two desires… impossible to reconcile.

"Edward." I said and I knew he knew. He sighed. He wanted me to stay with him all night too. But he knew I needed to get home. Come to think of it…I was actually getting kind of hungry. My stomach rumbled. Normally, I would have been embarrassed by the fact that everyone in the house could hear me, but the Cullens were like my family. So I felt no need to be embarrassed.

I laughed instead. "I'm going to go home and eat Edward. I'll see you tomorrow? Or will I be seeing you tonight at my window?"

If he could have blushed, he would have. He was so embarrassed. And I didn't need to be Jasper to know that. He obviously didn't know that I knew that he watched me sleep most nights. Instead of finding it creepy… I found it endearing. It was really sweet.

And it wasn't like we hadn't admitted our love for each other yet. Now, if we hadn't said we loved each other… then it would have most definitely been creepy. But we had, so case closed.

"Ha! I bet you didn't know that I knew!" I had to push it in a little. He normally knew everything. It really helped that he could read minds. But now I knew something he didn't. And I was once again glad, and proud, of the fact that he couldn't read my mind. If he could… then I would be beyond embarrassed.

"H-how did you know about that?" he stuttered. I smirked. Was this the first time that Edward had been embarrassed? I shifted through my memories. Nope. He was embarrassed before. Boy was he embarrassed. And he had Emmett to thank for that.

_It had to do with the fact that Edward was a 100 year old virgin. Well, older than that but I don't want to go into the details. _

_We were at school, leaning against Edward's precious Volvo, waiting for school to start. Edward, being a male, and, being Edward, decided to have some fun with Emmett. _

"_Hey Emmett, are you wearing loose pants today?" _

"_Huh?" Emmett was totally confused. So were the rest of us. _

"_Well, if I recall correctly, your pants got 'stuck' yesterday and you were yelling at Rose that of course they could come off. It was a very interesting argument." _

_Emmett wasn't embarrassed at all. "Well, the just means that I'm big." _

_I didn't get it at first. "Well, yeah, you're big Emmett. We can just tell that by looking at you." _

"_Oh really? Well, I am pretty big, so yeah, I guess my little Emmy would be big too. So does that mean I get to call it Big Emmy?" _

_And then it struck me. He was talking about his… god I didn't want to think about it again. _

"_Emmett!" Edward snapped at him in my defense. _

"_Hey Edward, just because you're sexually frustrated doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!" _

"_I'm _not_ sexually frustrated! I'm merely waiting!" he hissed. _

_Emmett burst out laughing. And decided to call to the whole school. "HEY, IF MY LITTLE FIREND OVER HERE IS STILL A VIRGIN THAT MAKES HIM SEXUALLY FRUSTRATED RIGHT?" _

_I was so embarrassed to be seen near Emmett. And Edward looked ready to kill. But when girls started flocking around him, ready to 'cure' him of his frustration, I got pissed. Even Mrs. Cope was there! And she was… rubbing herself all over him. He tried to get away… there were just too many. _

"Um… a week?" it came out sounding like a question. "Come on Edward." And I pulled him up. Well, I grabbed his hand and he got up.

"How did you know?" now he seemed kind of pissed. I felt bad for Alice at the moment.

"A girl has her ways." I said. Well, I had to make a deal with Alice. She could drag me around the mall all Saturday and then she'll spill like a waterfall.

He raised his eyebrows. "Okay I give. Alice told me." maybe if he killed her then I wouldn't have to go the mall on Saturday…

Bad Bella bad! I scolded myself. I shouldn't think like that. Oh well, a girl can dream.

"Mmmh. Did she also mention that you talk in your sleep?"

I was mortified now. What had he heard? If Alice had told me that, then I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place!

He smirked at my silence and embarrassment. I realized that we were already at my house.

"Well, you said something about pickles. And ketchup. You can start thinking about what you were dreaming about there."

I got out, blushing furiously. And I normally didn't blush. Well, ever since recently. He drove away with that stupid smirk still evident on his face.

I stepped inside my house. Well, Renee's house. I only came back here to eat and sleep. Besides that, I was at the Cullen's or school.

"Hey mom." The word didn't sound right anymore. It sounded so… off. Like she didn't deserve the name anymore.

And I was shocked to see her curled up on the coach with popcorn, Twizzlers, pizza, and soda in front of her. She was staring at the large plaza TV in front of her. My mouth dropped open.

"So Bella. Movie night?"

I nodded, dumbfounded. What was with the change of heart?

RPOV

I smiled as my cell phone dropped to the floor between my hands. Maybe Bella's life would start looking up now.

**Sorry only 1,330! But I have a surprise! Well, a game. In chapter 35 there is a scavenger hunt! For my readers, not the characters. You don't have to do it but I realized that I had two references already from some movies, then I was like, "Let's make this a scavenger hunt!" So I didn't do it intentionally, except for one, which I added in at the end. **

**AND PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	31. A Long Day

**Thanks so much to my reviewers!! It really does mean alot to me!**

And I was shocked to see her curled up on the coach with popcorn, Twizzlers, pizza, and soda in front of her. She was staring at the large plaza TV in front of her. My mouth dropped open.

"So Bella. Movie night?"

I nodded, dumbfounded. What was with the change of heart?

RPOV

I smiled as my cell phone dropped to the floor between my hands. Maybe Bella's life would start looking up now.

**Chapter 31: A long Day**

BPOV

Wow that was weird. I had just spent the last four hours watching movies, talking, and eating popcorn- and every junk food known to man- with Renee. My mom. The person who barely glanced my way when I walked in through the door. The person who really didn't care that I was failing school right now. The person who I saw less than 30 hours a week, and that's excluding sleeping.

At first, it was awkward. Neither of us knew what to say. We just watched the movie _John Tucker Must Die_ in complete and utter silence. Until I commented on John's tactics. And how he really wasn't that hot. Edward was so much better. I smiled just thinking about him.

"You're completely right Bella. That John kid knows diddly about women. I'm embarrassed just knowing that people of our female sex actually fell for him!" she huffed. I laughed.

"Mom, it's just a movie." I gently reminded her.

"So, situations like that happen all the time! These- these playboys! They seduce young woman like jack rabbits!" she sputtered. I burst out laughing. She glared. She obviously didn't think that I was taking this seriously enough. And I wasn't taking it seriously at all. "I hope you know better than to get into a relationship like that Bella!"

"Don't worry. Edward's very old-fashioned. He would never dream of doing… anything like that." I smirked. Edward _was_ very old-fashioned. And he _would_ never dream of doing anything like that with me. He would never dream for the rest of his… eternity.

We had never really talked about the boundaries of our physical relationship. They were just there. And I knew I couldn't push his buttons. It wasn't like I wanted to. I was only 16. And I wasn't looking for anything other than fun.

We talked in a similar fashion until 11 PM.

"Honey, you should go to bed. It's only Wednesday. You have school tomorrow."

"Like it makes a difference." I said, scoffing. She probably didn't even know that I was flunking out. But I got up anyway. No reason to fight with my mom after we had some… bonding time.

"I know you're flunking Bella. But I haven't said anything because I really don't care." Renee said, smiling softly. And we both knew what she was referring to. My imminent death. Well, imminent to her. I was planning on joining Edward.

"Thanks mom." And I started heading towards my room.

"Bella. I didn't mean to offend you earlier. I don't blame you for Charlie's death. I was just afraid to get close to you before I lost you forever. But now I realize that that was stupid. And I'm sorry." She said even more softly than before, so quietly that I almost missed it.

"Mom. Thanks." That was all I could think of saying. But I felt touched by the fact that she had changed her mind. I really did want to know about her. She smiled sadly. I decided that I wasn't ready for bed yet.

"Hey mom, why don't you tell me about how you and Dad met? I never really heard those crazy ridiculous stories."

And she launched into a story about how they met sky diving. She only realized she was terrified of heights until she was about to jump. And Charlie was the man who calmed her down, jumping with her. And they had clicked just like that.

She retold accounts of endless adventures they had, from mountain climbing to scuba diving. I was thrilled. Not only did I get to learn about their escapades, but also learn what my mom was like before… me.

That sobered me up. Was I the person who made her into the cold, silent person she now was?

"Mom. Why did you change so much after having me?" I asked, afraid for the answer.

She froze, her eyes casting downwards. "Bella. You have no idea how scary it is to be a mother. To be in charge of someone else's life. I didn't want you making stupid mistakes. My stupid adventures where I almost got killed in all of them. So if I was the calm, controlled mom then maybe you wouldn't. And I didn't feel ready to have a kid. I was only 27 Bella. So young. Charlie understood and raised you practically by himself. I figured that I'd only get in the way, so I kept my distance. I hadn't been there for you when you were younger, surely you didn't want me then?

So I stayed away. I stayed distant. When he died, I really wasn't ready to take on the responsibility. And if I did step into your life, I figured you wouldn't want me to, blame me for trying to replace Charlie.

When we got your… diagnosis, I felt I didn't want to attach myself to you Bells. I wanted to keep my distance, which would be easy. But it wasn't. It hurt to know that you only wanted my love and I couldn't, no, I _refused_ to give that to you. I didn't want to get hurt.

But little did I know that no matter how close I was to you, it would always hurt to see you go." By now she was in tears. So was I for that matter. I wrapped my arms around her. It felt good to know the truth for once.

-:-

The next morning, I looked like crap. And I knew it. My eyes were red and puffy from last night. We ended up staying up late, talking and crying about Charlie. We both missed him. We both loved him. My hair was snarled, frizzy, and looked like a rat's nest. I sighed, rubbing my eyes. Then I noticed the time. 7:45. Crap! School started at eight. And I had fifteen minutes to eat, shower, dress, and get there. With a ten minute ride there which I could reduce to five… so ten minutes to eat, shower, and get dressed.

Screw the shower. I quickly threw some cold water onto my face. _Come on Bella, wake up! Look alive!_ No luck. Sighing, I dried my face and ran to my room. Hm… What to wear. I decided on a simple pair of skinny jeans and polo from Ralph Lauren. I threw on my favorite pair of Fendi shoes that I had recently gotten on a shopping trip with Alice. No matter how annoying she could be, she sure could shop.

I grabbed an apple as I flew out the door. I hopped into my car, dropping my apple, cursing, not bothering to pick it up, then driving to school, cursing at my empty stomach.

My bag was in my Porsche; I left it there because I didn't see a need to bring it inside. I screeched to a stop in my customary stop next to the Cullens. They were all leaning against their cars, looking like models that decided to step into world.

Edward's smirk changed into the one of concern the second he saw my face.

"Bella! Are you okay?" he asked, rushing over to me. I sighed. I knew I looked like crap. But I didn't need my boyfriend pointing that out too. Especially when he looked unbelievably good 24/7.

"Yeah Edward, I'm fine. I had a nice night but it got kind of sad when we started talking about Charlie." Everyone averted their gaze. Edward took my hand in his suddenly, jerking my arm. I was shocked. He had never been violent before.

Then I saw what he was looking at. The scrape I had gotten on my arm yesterday when I was biking with Jake. Oh crap. Crap crap crap! I repeated in my head like a mantra. I was in for it now.

"Bella, what's this from?" Edward said in an uneven voice. Everyone quickly looked it over, shrugging. It looked like nothing more than a shallow scrape. Exactly what it was.

"Nothing." I said, trying to be nonchalant. But he knew it was not nothing.

"Bella." he said, barely keeping his temper in check. He knew it was from my visit with Jake, but he didn't know _how_.

"Edward, it's nothing. I swear." He raised his eyebrows. "IwasridingamotorcyclewithJacobandfell." I said in a rush, hoping that he didn't catch or understand that.

But, being the vampire that he was, of course he did.

His eyes darkened and I could see his fist curl up on his side. The hand holding my arm dropped and flew up to pinch the bridge between his eyes.

Just then the bell rang. I sighed in relief. I could finally escape. But I knew that it was going to be a long day. Rosalie was horrified, glaring at me. Probably for doing something so stupid. Emmett was laughing because he thought it was hilarious. This only ticked Rosalie and Edward off, who began hitting him.

"Um guys? The bell rang." I said timidly. They just ignored me.

This was going to be a long long day. I groaned, wishing it would end. Soon.

**Haha so this day is going to be very long. About 2 or 3 chapters lol**

**and this chapter is: 1,620 words!! It's really just a little bit of fluffl here and there I guess**

**And Happy New Year! It's finally 2009!! The last 'zero zero' as a friend said to me**

**Oh talking about that, I didn't get to write a chapter yesterday because I was having a sleepover at my friend's house :(**

**So I might not be able to update tomorrow. If you read my profile, you'll see I'm OCD so I have a schedule lol. But I do have chapter 32 typed, it just might not be on my 'schedule.' I'm still working on getting over it lol**

**and review, for me, as a new year present :)**

**and I will be diligently working on chapter 37 :)**

**preview!**

_"So Lauren, you want to hear a story about what happened in France?" she began. Lauren started to sneer and say no, but Bella cut her off. "Well, I ran into this girl called Kate."_

**Please Review!**


	32. Tampons and Toads

***PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM!!**

**Thanks to all my reviewers! **

**NOTE TO: Tango Dancer: I'm sorry! But it was just like that. One of my best friends is French so it's nothing personal. It's the first city that came to mind for a European boarding school. And I've always wanted to go to Paris! I just needed a ** at the school. If you noticed, there's always a ** in a story, normally in Amercia though. But if it takes place in France, then there might be a ** there too. Nothing personal!! I swear! Well, promise. Sorry if I offended you!**

Just then the bell rang. I sighed in relief. I could finally escape. But I knew that it was going to be a long day. Rosalie was horrified, glaring at me. Probably for doing something so stupid. Emmett was laughing because he thought it was hilarious. This only ticked Rosalie and Edward off, who began hitting him.

"Um guys? The bell rang." I said timidly. They just ignored me.

This was going to be a long long day. I groaned, wishing it would end. Soon.

**Chapter 32: Tampons and Toads**

JPOV

I felt bad for Bella. She was so confused. Her mom was suddenly interested in bonding with her after she had just found herself another family. And then there was the over reaction from Edward and Rosalie about the motorcycles. Which brought us to our next person. Rosalie.

Rosalie really was misunderstood. She was a little fiery, but she really was a nice person. And loyal. Very loyal.

She viewed Bella kind of as the daughter she never had. And Bella viewed Rosalie, as of recently, as the parent she hadn't had in a while. Now that Renee was all nice and cozy with her, she was confused with who to turn to.

And then there was exhaustion. She was tired from last night. But she didn't really care. And no one was going to tell her about midterms and how they started today. She really wouldn't want to know. It's not like there really was time to tell her with the fact that she was late to school and that Edward freaked out over the motorcycle incident.

And when I felt a sudden wave of anger and the need to kill someone, I knew it was Bella. So many conflicting emotions! This was going to be a really long day for everyone.

APOV

I walked into my first period class, English, with Bella. It was the only class we had together.

"So Bella, how do you feel about the midterm we have in science today?" I started.

"What midterm?" did she seriously not know?

"The midterm about science." I said, rewording it as if talking to a five year old.

"Hm. Oh well. That's okay. I don't really care if I fail it." She said, shrugging. I sighed. Just because she was going be changed in 4 months and have to stay away from people due to blood lust, that didn't mean she should completely abandon her studies.

"Of course you'll fail it Swan. You're just a stupid slut who spends her spare time screwing that little Eddie boy of yours." Lauren's nasally voice rang out through the room. At first, Bella looked ready to kill Lauren. I didn't need to be Jasper to know what she feeling

I saw Bella smile out of the corner of my eye. Then I 'saw' what was going to happen and I smiled, excited to see it happen first hand.

"So Lauren, you want to hear a story about what happened in France?" she began. Lauren started to sneer and say no, but Bella cut her off. "Well, I ran into this girl called Kate. And she told me that she'd make my stay at the school a living hell. That's the first thing you have in common. She told me to stay away from the boys that went to the boarding school across the street. You told me to stay away from Edward. Then she told me that I was an ugly duckling. You never told me that, but I'm sure you agree."

Lauren bobbed her blonde bimbo head up and down, sneering, but unsure as to where this story was going.

"Well, I told her that I _was_ an ugly duckling. But you know what happened to her? She grew up and turned into a swan. I told her she was a toad. And that toad… if you leave it out in the sun too long, it starts to shrivel up. And it looks like you already have. And that's another thing you two have in common."

Bella finished, smirking and barely holding in her laughter. The entire class was watching the showdown and Lauren's lack of ability to respond. She just stuttered out incoherent sentences. No one had talked to Lauren like that.

No matter how many times Lauren had snapped at and made fun of Bella, Bella simply smiled and walked on. But today's crappy day actually got a response from her. That had the whole class laughing.

When Miss Ringo walked in, flustered because she was so late, the whole class quieted down.

"Sorry I'm so late! My tire broke because it had an toad caught in the wheel." Which set everyone off on another round of laughter. Lauren huffed and stomped off to the bathroom, bright red.

But no one knew Miss Ringo's real reason for being so late. It had a little something to do with her husband and whip cream. Bad images!

-:-

In between 3rd and 4th period, I saw Emmett.

"Emmett." I said and he looked up, curious.

"Wanna be let in on a little secret?" and he smiled, grinning from ear to ear.

RPOV

By lunch time, Bella was starving. She ate everything in sight. Well, her lunch, Emmett's lunch, and my lunch. We weren't going to eat it anyway. But even she was disgusted with herself for eating that…. Stuff they called food. But that's what happens when you rush out of the house without breakfast.

The second Bella finished eating, Edward pounced. "So Bella, what in the world would possess you to go on a motorcycle? You have any idea of how dangerous those things are? You could have gotten into an accident! And no one would have know about it because Alice can't see you! And then Carlisle wouldn't be able to cross and we'd have to wait for those stupid dogs to figure out that you'd need medical help!" he hissed at her.

Bella stayed silent during his rant. "Don't worry Edward. I was fine. A small scratch. But that's life." And she flashed him a smile, ignoring the fact that his eyes were darkening by the second.

I smiled. Bella was the only one who could completely ignore the fact that Edward looked like he was going to kill someone. She didn't even look frightened.

"Bella, honey. Edward's right. You really shouldn't have gone on that motorcycle." I said. It _was_ dangerous. Edward had exaggerated a little, well, a lot, but he did have a point.

"Rose, Edward, it was on my list." Bella said before getting up to dump her tray. She took her bag, so I guessed that she was done with that conversation. I sighed. We only wanted what was best for her.

The table sat in silence without her. We were surprised when she came back. We all looked at her funnily. Hadn't she just left with her bag? As in, wasn't she going to go someplace else to avoid her overprotective family?

"What? I'm having my period and needed a tampon from my bag. No reason to go to the trash can, back to the table, then to the bathroom." Everyone looked down and the guys were especially embarrassed. She was the only one who wasn't embarrassed.

"Well, you could have gotten a tampon before you went up to throw away your trash you know." Emmett said, breaking the silence.

Bella turned to look at Emmett. "Oh, but if I did that, then I knew that you'd ask what was in my hand and we'd have to go through this conversation that I'd rather not. But thank you for your oh so very thoughtful suggestion."

She sat down and started to fiddle with the ring on her finger. Edward decided to break the silence this time.

"Bella, about the science midterm today… I think you shouldn't Christmas tree it today."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "And why wouldn't I Christmas tree it? It's actually quite fun. I've even beaten Lauren and Jessica, and I believe that they were actually trying!"

"Bella, just try. Please?" his eyes smoldered into his. She sighed. No one could resist that face.

"Fine Edward. Under one condition. You tell me why."

"Bella, I think it would be good for you to know how smart you actually are. To see how intelligent you are. I'm not telling you to start last minute studying, I'm just saying, maybe seeing a decent grade for once…" he trailed off. We all knew that Bella didn't try at all. She was just in school for friends. And we'd all do the same thing if we were in her position. But we also understood what Edward was saying. She needed to see how smart she really was.

"Fine Edward." She said, sighing. Then Emmett smirked. Not good.

"Hey Bella, I bet I could beat you." he said.

"Aw Emmett you know that's not fair! You've taken the midterm so many times before! And you've been through school so many times before!" she whined.

"Aw is little Bella a little afraid of a little bet?" he teased.

She scowled before accepting. "Fine Emmett. Winner gets eternal bragging rights and 50 bucks." She said.

"Just 50? I think someone's a little afraid of losing." Emmett taunted. Bella narrowed her eyes.

"Fine then. 200. Better?"

"Much." And then they shook on it. I groaned. Here Emmett was corrupting our poor Bella! This was going to be a long day.

**First off, this chapter is 1,617 words! **

**Second: **

****I will NOT be able to do daily updates once school starts again. I won't be able to type a chapter or two each night so if you want regular updates, about every two or three days, then you'll deal with it. And, technically I'm not obliged to because we kind of had a deal. Daily updates or longer chapters. Now, I'm doing both. Start Sunday, I choose longer chapters. Sorry! But you know how freshie year is! Well, most/some of you do. **

**Thirdly, if you guys are unhappy with who won the above bet in the next chapter, then don't blame me! I didn't pick the winner! You guys did! **

**Fourthly, just to see whose actually read #2 and possibly #3, tell me if you prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate lol**

**Fifthly, preview! **

**Chapter 33: Big Bird**

_He just shook his head. "Actually trying to take a test wears you out, doesn't it? Oh, and how did Elmo have anything to do with it?" _

_I glared at him. "It wasn't Elmo! It was Big Bird!" I hissed._

**And sixthly, REVIEW!! Reviews are a way readers thank their authors :) And that makes them happy. And happy authors write more. And more writing means more chapters and posts. And more chapters and posts make the readers happy. It's all a big happy circle! lol**

**So Review!! And re-read #4!! lol**


	33. Big Bird

**Wow I'm surprised that only 9 of you actually read my author's notes lol**

**But thanks so much to my reviewers anyway for just reviewing! I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you! **

**And I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: **Link's Ocarina Babe thank you! That really means alot to me!

"Just 50? I think someone's a little afraid of losing." Emmett taunted. Bella narrowed her eyes.

"Fine then. 200. Better?"

"Much." And then they shook on it. I groaned. Here Emmett was corrupting our poor Bella! This was going to be a long day.

**Chapter 33: Big Bird**

APOV

"Why such high stakes? It's _just_ a science test." Edward asked. He was actually kind of pissed.

"Just a science test? Dude, you've got a lot to learn. It's the show of how gullible our little Bella is." Emmett said, laughing.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Well, you asked for a bet and I can't say no to a bet. But you've had years of practice while I haven't even been paying attention. So, the chances of me winning are low, right? But if I win, then let's just see how 'smart' you really are." Bella said, smirking. And she was right. If she did beat Emmett then not only would Bella have eternal bragging rights, then the whole family would never let him live it down.

"Alice, why don't you save us all this trouble and tell us who wins?" Emmett asked me. He obviously wanted insight into the future to see if he needed to cheat or not. I rolled my eyes. As if I'd tell him that much.

The bell rang, making Bella jump.

"I have science next Emmett. And so do you, with Mr. Banner. I'd say good luck, but…"

Emmett smirked. "Break a leg little sis." He said, snickering. He obviously thought that he was going to win. Which he was. But I couldn't tell Bella that. Then she'd totally give up and Christmas tree the midterm too. If she did good enough on it, then she'd be able to pass her junior year. Even Lauren Mallory was studying, and that's saying something!

And then a sudden change.

_Bella running out of school with an exam in her hand, a bright red 97% hastily written across the top. _

Oh so maybe Emmett wouldn't win. It probably had something to do with the fact that Mr. Miller was taking off some problems because he 'didn't feel that he taught it well enough.' Hell, he didn't teach anything. Period.

When I looked around, I was in geometry with Jasper by my side. I realized that I had zoned out and my caring wonderful husband was so kind as to help me in my time of need. I smiled, quickly giving him a peck on the lips.

BPOV

Damn Emmett. I should never have agreed to the bet. But the competitive side of me just made me have to. I couldn't say no. And now I was going to regret it.

Having 200 dollars less was nothing to me. But the fact about bragging rights… you can't put a price on that. And I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to beat Emmett. He had been through high school god knows how many times, passing each time. And right now I was failing out.

"Don't worry Bella. You can beat Emmett. I have faith in you." Edward said. And with those few little words, I suddenly felt my spirits lift. Maybe I _could_ beat Emmett. I mean, if vampires and werewolves existed, then the possibility that I could be smarter than my ancient been through high school many times brother, right? I just didn't know how big that possibility was…

"Bella, if you win, then I promise I won't force you to go to the next dance." Edward tried reassuring me again. Hmm…. Now I really wanted to win.

"And if I lose?"

"Then I'll hand you over to Alice to do her worst." He said, smirking. I almost growled. Some boyfriend he was.

Then Mr. Miller came into the classroom.

"Class, today is, as we are all aware of, the science midterm! And we're all going to pass right?" he looked right at me. Because I was the one who normally got the lowest grade. But that's what happens when you make tests multiple choice on Scantron and you use the skill of probability on your side instead of knowledge.

I sighed. I was actually going to have to try. Bummer.

He handed out the tests which were forms A and B. As if he didn't trust us. I was offended. I would never cheat off of Edward! I'd, of course, being the lady that I was, simply _ask_ for the answer instead of just _taking _it.

"Class, begin!" he said. I looked down at my test, my eyes reading over the questions for the first time in months.

_1. Which of the following is an example of allopatric speciation?_

_a. When a lake is divided because a section has dried up, separating two species of catfish. _

_b. When a flower blooms at 3 am while another blooms at 8 pm. _

_c. When the same species begins eating a different type of food and can no longer breed with its original species. _

_d. None of the above. _

Geez, who knew what allopatric speciation was in the first place? Why did I care? That's right, I didn't.

Then I remembered my bet. Well, bets. I'd have eternal bragging rights and an escape from Alice's evil clutches. That was motivation enough.

Allopatric speciation. Think Bella think! Allopatric. _Allopatric_. Allopatric! Saying it with different accents didn't help me remember…

I started chewing on the end of my pencil. How was anyone supposed to know this? All of these look the same! Allopatric. Hm… repeating it like a mantra in my head wasn't working. Then I remembered Heidi for some odd reason, shouting similar words. What were those words? Yodeling something or other….

Bella, focus! Heidi was on a mountain, wasn't she? A big valley in Holland, right?

And then it hit me. Allopatric speciation was when two species were divided by a geographical barrier. So the answer was A. I quickly bubbled it in to move to the next one.

_2. According to the article written by Stanley Miller, what were the number of Phylum's defined? _

_a. 32_

_b. 36_

_c. 26_

_d. 28_

Crap. How was I supposed to know this? Stanley… Wasn't there a show with a kid named Stanley who had a fish that traveled with him through time or something? They always went to different places…

Once they even met up with dinosaurs if I'm not mistaken. Or maybe that was Dragon Tales. That was actually a pretty cool show. I mean, who doesn't want to talk to dragons? The big blue one said something about never choosing C, even though that one was always supposed to be the right answer. The right answers were always at the end. So… D.

I bubbled in D.

_3. What was the name of the person who came up with a similar theory to Darwin? _

_a. Stanley Miller _

_b. Alfred Wallace_

_c. Daniel Wallycheck_

_d. Pinter San Ralo _

No to a, no to d…. so it was either c or b. And the big blue dragon… what was his name? Orb? Org? Ord! So… if it's not c, then it must be B.

I bubbled in B.

So instead of Christmas treeing the test, I actually tried, using characters from everywhere and anywhere. When I finally finished- being the last one to finish, which was a first- I felt good. Not.

So I was using words of wisdom from a big blue dragon that barely knows the difference between up and down. And he was on a show on PBS. A kids show. I was sure to lose the bet. And 200 dollars. And bragging rights. And my free escape from Alice!

So not only was this day going to drag on forever, it was going to be miserable as hell!

I dropped my head on my desk, groaning. Would this awful day ever end? Edward, noticing my stress, rubbed soothing circles on my back. Which did help a little. A very very little.

The bell rang, which startled me. Time for gym. This day just kept getting better and better didn't it? And it wasn't that I wasn't bad at gym, I just felt that it was a waste of time because everyone sucked so bad that no one tried. So it was normally a game a basket ball versus yourself. And everyone knows how fun that it.

Edward took my arm, standing up, which caused me to have to stand up. I leaned my head against his chest.

"Can't we just skip? Go home early? Please!" I whined.

He just shook his head. "Actually trying to take a test wears you out, doesn't it? Oh, and how did Elmo have anything to do with it?"

I glared at him. "It wasn't Elmo! It was Big Bird!" I hissed, smacking his rock hard chest. "How else was I going to remember the Galapagos finches?"

"And what does Big Bird have to do with Galapagos finches?"

I growled. "I've got to go to class. Good-bye!" and I swept out of the room.

EPOV

I really wished that I could read my precious Bella's mind. She kept mumbling things under her breath, like Big Bird, Ord, and Cookie Monster. I couldn't wait to see what she got.

And somehow, whatever she got ended up outdoing Emmett. Either Emmett was really stupid, no offense, he wasn't trying at all, which would only piss Bella off, or Bella did really good. Which I found really hard to believe. Big Bird. I snorted and headed off towards English class.

**So, only 9 of you actually said what type of chocolate you prefer! Most of you were milk chocolate and only one didn't like chocolate. Thanks so much for reviewing! **

**Secondly, the next chapter declares the winner! And if you recall correctly, you guys were the ones who voted! I'd really hate it if you didn't agree with who won. I chose popular vote too. **

**Thirdly, TOMORROW WILL BE THE LAST REGULAR UPDATE! School's starting! Yay! *heavy sarcasm* I mean, who doesn't want to spend 9 hours at a desk, waking up at 6 am 5 days a week. Life doesn't get any better, right *still heavy sarcasm* **

**So I'm sorry to say that I won't exactly have daily updates. **

**Fourthly, this chapter's 1,662 without the author's note! **

**Fifthly, PREVIEW from chapter 34: **

_His orders were quickly carried through. Hmm… if I was a doctor and people answered to me that quickly… maybe I should start going through medical school. Edward went through it so it couldn't be that hard, right? _

_"**, you'd never survive medical school. Now shut up." Edward snapped out. I glowered. Why was everyone so mean to me?_

**Care to guess who said that? I starred out the name just for fun :) **

**And last but not least, REVIEW!! Reviews are better than chocolate. And I love chocolate :)**


	34. Bad Day

**Wow I got 31 reviews!! Thanks!!**

**And I'm sorry I forgot to put white chocolate on the list. Oops! lol**

**and I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO: Vampire Archangel AND suckerforavampire Thanks so much!**

And somehow, whatever she got ended up outdoing Emmett. Either Emmett was really stupid, no offense, he wasn't trying at all, which would only piss Bella off, or Bella did really good. Which I found really hard to believe. Big Bird. I snorted and headed off towards English class.

**Chapter 34: Bad Day**

Emmett POV

"You have got to be kidding me! How did _she_ win? How? Life is so unfair!" I whined. Bella had come out of her gym class two days after the science midterm, holding a paper that had a bright red 97% written across the top.

"Emmett, don't be a poor sport! Hand over the money!" Bella shouted gleefully. We were still standing in the parking lot, but Bella's shouts of joy caused people to look over at us.

"Hmf." I huffed. I had only gotten a 95. Two points away! Two freaking points! I wanted to punch something.

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my walled. I opened it and counted out 10 twenty dollar bills.

"Here." I shoved the money into her hands.

"Thanks Emmett! That's so kind of you!" she squealed, laughing. She took out her Coach wallet and put away. But it wouldn't be there for long! I'd win it back. Some way or another.

"Stupid rich kids. Betting with money. And a lot of it by the looks of it. Stupid stupid rich kids…." Some kid walking by was muttering under his breath. But he didn't know that we could all hear it. Even Bella with her human hearing.

At first she looked unsure of what to do. To give him a black eye or to just walk away. Edward snorted upon hearing the options in my mind.

_Oh really Edward. You think you're all high and mighty. If she does either of my options then you owe me 20 bucks. If she doesn't, I owe you 20 bucks. _

A quick nod of his head said that he agreed. I smirked. Easy money.

Bella bit her lip, still indecisive. "Hey Rob." She knew the kid's name? Well, she knew everyone and everyone knew her. "We're sorry. We don't mean to offend you. Just having some fun, you know? We had a bet on whether or not Emmett could outsmart me. Which he failed at miserably."

The Rob kid had stopped to listen to her, glaring. Then her words sunk in. "Hey! You beat me by two points! Two measly points! One question!" I shouted. I did not fail miserably at defeating her! I merely failed. Hmf. She needed to get her facts right!

"Anyway, Emmett lost. He lost a little money and eternal bragging rights. He is, after all, older than me." the kid had no idea. I was _a lot_ older than Bella. And had been through high school so many times that it would make his head spin.

"So we're not really rich kids. I was running low on shopping money. Emmett here is a spoiled brat and I decided to strike deal and strike rich! Twenty more dollars for me!" she lied. But she pulled it off. I wanted to cough 'times 10' for the spoiled brat comment, but Edward and Alice glared at me. I almost whimpered. They could be scary.

"Oh sorry Bella. I'm just having a few… family difficulties, you know? And I never have money to spare…" he trailed off. I looked at him for once. Worn jeans, ragged T-shirt, and worn shoes. Oh.

"Don't worry about it Rob. Just a misunderstanding. And you know what, maybe I shouldn't get those heels from…" she trailed off, probably thinking of a store that 'normal' people went to; she mainly did designer. "Journey's. Here, you can have the twenty. I'll beat Emmett in something else." She said, snickering in my direction. She took her wallet out and took out a twenty, handing it to Rob.

"No way Bella! I'm so kicking your—"

"Thanks Bella. I'll see you tomorrow." Rob cut me off. He snatched up the money and skedaddled. By now the parking lot was empty.

"Bella! You're so nice!" Alice squealed. Rosalie smiled warmly. Edward was looking at Bella with so much pride and love in his eyes. Even Jasper looked proud! Bella looked pointedly at me, still snickering.

"Fine. You did good little sis." I admitted grudgingly. What she did was nice. And she didn't make that kid feel like a charity case.

"So Emmett, I believe you owe me twenty dollars." Edward said, holding out his hand. I growled at him while everyone else cracked up.

"My poor wallet!" I whined. I took out another twenty and slapped it into Edward's hand.

Bella was laughing so hard that she was clutching her sides. She was the last one laughing. Everyone looked at her funnily. It wasn't _that_ funny. But when her face started turning blue and her breath came out in even more uneven gasps then before, we knew something was wrong.

"Bella? Bella!" Edward dashed over to her, lifting her up and into the car.

Alice was moaning, "How did I not see this?!"

Alice, Edward, and Jasper all hopped into his Volvo, where he sped off towards the hospital with no delay.

Rosalie jumped into the driver's seat of my Jeep and yelled at me to hurry up. I dashed into the passenger's seat and didn't bother complaining. I knew she'd rip my head off. Literally. Her daughter was in mortal danger and I cared about was my car.

But I did care about Bella. It was just… she was driving my car! My baby!

We arrived at the hospital shortly after Edward and the others. Bella was in his arms, gasping for air.

"Call Dr. Cullen! Now!" Edward all but yelled at the poor lady at the front desk. She nodded, frightened, and called Dr. Cullen over the intercom. He must have known something was off because he was suddenly behind us.

"Edward, is something wrong?" he spoke quickly, barely fast enough for humans to hear. Edward nodded once.

"Bella." He said and handed her over to our father. Dr. Cullen examined her, called for a stretcher, and demanded a private room. His orders were quickly carried through. Hmm… if I was a doctor and people answered to me that quickly… maybe I should start going through medical school. Edward went through it so it couldn't be that hard, right?

"Emmett, you'd never survive medical school. Now shut up." Edward snapped out. I glowered. Why was everyone so mean to me?

RPOV

When Bella's breath started coming out in gasps, I knew something was wrong. She probably wasn't laughing as long as we thought she was.

But I knew we had to get her to medical help. Fast. And when I saw that my husband was about to complain that I was driving his car, I shot him a glare that shut him up pretty quickly.

And now we were waiting outside her hospital room, all jittery. We had called Renee to let her know that her daughter was in the hospital. She was waiting with us now, tears streaming down her face. Even Esme was here.

_Edward, what's wrong with her? What's taking them so long to do whatever they're doing? _

He shook his head. He didn't know?

I groaned. I was actually going to have to sit here, waiting for my… daughter to wake up and get better. Which she wouldn't have a choice. She _had_ to get better.

APOV

How had I not seen that? How had I not seen the trip to the hospital? It didn't make sense!

Then it hit me. Werewolf. We all straightened up and became rigid, except for Renee. She was totally oblivious.

"Cullens." Jacob Black spat out.

"Black." We spat back at him, with just as much venom in our voices.

"Did you kill her already?" he asked openly, unaware of a human sitting beside us.

I jerked my head towards Bella's mom. He took notice of it but didn't acknowledge her.

"For your information Black, this had nothing to do with us."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? You know, I'm going to keep her away from you. Do everything in my power to protect her from you leeches."

Ahh so he _was _planning to be present at Edward and Bella's wedding.

"Jacob, she's dying! She had cancer! So I ask of you, please, please go away. I know you were Billy's son, a friend of Charlie, my husband, but she doesn't need reminders of Charlie right now. She needs to be happy and care free. She deserves it." Renee finally spoke up. I had almost forgotten about her.

Jacob looked her up and down, eyes narrowed. Satisfied that she was human and whole, and Bella's mother, he nodded and swept out. We all let out our breaths.

That was why I didn't see it. Jacob had planned on following us to the hospital. He was keeping an eye on Bella.

Edward nodded, confirming my assumptions. And now all there was left to do was sit and wait.

**So, this chapter is 1,557 words! Not bad!! **

**And I'm sorry to say that this will be the last regular chapter. As in, I'm not sure when my next update will be. It will most likely be on Tuesday. But I'm not making any promises. With school comes homework, tests, tiredness, and torture. **

**But, next chapter will hopefully be fun! Scavenger hunt! So it's not a full blown scavenger hunt with random words placed, but just silly references. I think that I'm just going to say find the three references but give a hint for the hard one. **

**Or, I'll make a list, like I have, of what they are referred to and you can just find them. Hmm... that seems best. And you don't have to do the scavenger hunt, I just had a bunch of things pop into my mind randomly. And I have 2 boxes left of candycanes which I am devouring quite quickly :)**

**So, please review!! And tell me if the scavenger hunt idea sounds fun. I might try something like that again. Tell me in your review :) **


	35. Just a Dream

**Okay so there are a lot of references to random things in here. You will probably be able to find at least 1. Here's a list: **

**1- Mulan**

**2- Finding Nemo X 2**

**3- Twilight Movie**

**Yeah it's kind of lame. But my sister and I were watching Mulan over and over and over again and then I noticed there was a reference to it. And then one to Finding Nemo. Well, two. Kind of. Then I was like, why not make this a scavenger hunt? So then I added the Twilight one! Answers posted next chapter :)**

**Oh and I've been forgetting my disclaimer!! So, I own nothing. *sigh**

**And thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!**

That was why I didn't see it. Jacob had planned on following us to the hospital. He was keeping an eye on Bella.

Edward nodded, confirming my assumptions. And now all there was left to do was sit and wait.

Chapter 35: Just a Dream?

BPOV

All I remembered was the feeling of a large weight being pressed onto my chest after laughing at Emmett.

Then it all went black. So when I woke up in an uncomfortable hospital bed, I was surprised. The annoying_ beep beep beep_ from the machine reminded me of the _tick tick tick_ of the clock on the amount of time I had left to live.

"Crap." I said groggily to no one in particular.

"Are you okay Bella?" a voice said to me.

Hm… I was hearing voices now. I could have sworn that the room was empty. Maybe I was dead.

"What's the date?" I asked, completely ignoring the man's question. If it was April 16, the approximated date of my death, then maybe I was dead. But I was pretty sure that I was going to become vampinized (**A/N: yea I made up this awesome word and there's nothing you can do about it!) **before I died. Unless the Cullens decided they didn't want me. A wave of dejection swept over me.

"December 19th. It's Friday, the last day of school, 8: 34 PM." The voice said, amusement coloring his tone.

Huh. Then I should still be alive. Unless, of course, there were complications and I died from whatever I got in the parking lot. But the doctor never said anything about that.

"Am I dead?" Why waste time beating around the bush? May as well go straight out there and ask the question.

"No." I swear he was laughing now!

"Then why can't I see anything? Are you my conscience?"

"No, I'm not your conscience. And Bella, it would help if you opened your eyes."

Oh. That would explain a lot.

I opened my eyes to the bright light and looked into a pair of bright green eyes. I gasped.

"Edward?" He looked like Edward. Bronze hair. Toned chest. Smoldering eyes- it didn't matter what color they were, they were still smoldering. Yep, it was Edward. "Your, your eyes!"

"Bella? What are you talking about?"

"They're- they're green!" I exclaimed. Was I transported back in time or something?

"Huh? Bella, you must be seeing things. It must be the fluorescents."

Huh? "That doesn't make sense Edward. Your eyes are green."

His eyes perceptibly darkened and then he started to walk away. Had I offended him? And as he walked away, he walked away with my heart.

APOV

We were sitting outside the room, anxiously waiting. I knew Bella was going to be okay. But that didn't relieve any of the tension. She could be in pain. Or maybe there was going to be a complication that I didn't see.

Snap out of it Alice! You're physic. Of course you'll see it!

But then again, I had missed what was happening in the parking lot. But that was only because of the werewolf.

I sighed. I was having a panic attack. Calm Alice calm.

I rubbed my shoulder against Jasper, my husband. I suddenly felt much better.

I closed my eyes and wistfully tried to remember what it would have felt like to be human. Had I ever been in a hospital bed? Where my visions as accurate as they were nowadays? Did they hurt?

Then I saw what was going to happen. A flat line. I shot up.

Yes, there was going to be a complication.

My eyes snapped to Edward's, who nodded, his eyes dark from anxiety and fear for Bella.

"Carlisle, check up on Bella. Now." he said at vampire speed. Our father heard him, even though he was in his office.

Carlisle POV

I walked into Bella's room to see her peacefully sleeping. She muttered a few words along the lines of "What's the date?" and "Am I dead?" I laughed. Edward wasn't joking when he said that she talked in her sleep.

Then her heartbeat started to decrease, the dreaded, slow beep of the flat noise echoing. This happened in less than a second flat.

I rushed over to her side in a flash, calling Code Blue for help.

"Clear." I shouted, then jolted her body with volts of electricity.

A stuttered heart beat. "Clear!" I shouted again, jolting her body again.

But this felt so different. Normally it was just a normal patient. Now… she was like my daughter. And I knew that if I lost her that my family would never be the same again.

"Clear!" I shouted again, relieved to see her heart starting up again. My breath evened. I knew that if I had heartbeat, it would be racing right now. I heard the relieved exhalation of all my family member's outside the door. They had all heard the commotion inside, even Renee, the human.

BPOV

I felt my heartbeat begin to plummet. I had no reason of living without Edward.

But then I felt my body jerk. What was that? Voices were shouting somewhere above me but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying in my haze.

Then I saw it. The white light. I glowed brilliantly. I frowned. I didn't want to go anywhere near that thing. Ever. I didn't plan on dying. I had Edward.

Then I frowned again. I didn't have Edward. He had walked away from me.

The light came closer and it started to glow blue. The blue turned into a squirming, squiggling drawing of a… fish. Dory!

Her words echoed in my mind. "Just keep swimming just keep swimming." Her face swam closer, the annoying tune repeated. It soon blurred into "Just keep breathing just keep breathing."

I gasped in a sudden intake of air that relieved the pressure in my chest.

"Ah Bella, you gave us a little scare. But now you seem to be fine. Are you okay?"

"What's the date?" I asked in a daze. I was alive, right? It was still December, right?

"December 19th. It's Friday, the last day of school, 8: 34 PM." The voice said, amusement coloring his tone.

Then I should still be alive. Unless I had died from the second chest compression I had felt. Wow, today really wasn't my day.

"Am I dead?" This conversation seemed to be ringing a bell. Well, may as well no beat around the bush anyway.

"No." Was that laughter I heard?

"Then why can't I see anything? Are you my conscience?" I pressed. Everything was still dark.

"No, I'm not your conscience. And Bella, it would help if you opened your eyes."

My eyes flashed open and were met with a pair of topaz eyes. Cool, topaz. I breathed out.

"Edward." And it _was _Edward. This time.

"Bella. Don't ever, and I mean ever, scare us like that again!" he exclaimed. I smiled weakly.

"I missed you Edward." And pressed my face into his hand, which was resting on my bedside railing.

Then I noticed my hand. Which had pokey needles stuck in it. I reached to pull them out. I was as well as I ever was going to be. No need to keep needles stuck in me.

"No no no. Wait for Carlisle to come and check up on you first."

I rolled my eyes but consented.

"I love you Edward." I said. He smiled in return.

"As I love you." and he pressed his lips to mine.

-:-

"Freedom!" I shouted the next day as I walked out of the hospital and into the hospital parking lot.

Everyone laughed. My mom had already gone home to prepare the house for me. We had almost reached my car when I noticed a staring contest between Alice and Rosalie.

"Um, guys?" I asked tentatively. What was going on?

Their eyes snapped to mine. Silence. Then it erupted. Of course.

"Rosalie, it was plan all along for you, then you go and spoil it!" Alice growled.

"I was looking out for her. For what was best for her! And she needed her mom!" I had this odd feeling that they were talking about me.

"Yeah, and that was going to be you!" Alice hissed.

"Um.. guys! I'm right here you know." No response. "Would any of you like to tell me what's going on here?"

And now I was met with a response. Of two screaming girls.

"I was doing the right thing when Miss Prissy over here had to get all prissy!"

"I had this planned out from the beginning!"

"Not everything can be planned!"

"Well this could have been! But you ruined it!"

"Guys!" I shouted. They turned to look at me, their eyes blazing.

"Now, calmly tell me the story from the beginning. Alice?" I looked pointedly at her, waiting for her to begin.

"Well Bella, it all started when we had first met you. And your mom. And Edward was like, we need a plan to help Bella with her mom issue. And I was like, let's replace her with our parents. But that wasn't really my solution. Of course Esme and Carlisle would be like your second parents, but so would Rose! You see, I knew Rose didn't like you. but I also knew that she'd make a wonderful parent. So add France to show how important you are to Edward to show her that he really loved you to allow her to give you a chance to be loved by her. Then add going over to Jacob's, which I totally saw, well, you disappearing even though you thought you were being all last minute-y, then add some harsh words, which I didn't see, but I saw you coming home crying, then add Rosalie and a little powder from Jazzy and voila! My wonderful plan!"

I was stunned. And didn't see what was wrong. "Um Alice? What's wrong then?"

"Well, Rosalie had to call your mother and now she wants to be your mom. But that's not that way it's supposed to be!" Alice wailed.

Ah. So it had to do with it not being her way. Control problems.

"Alice, you can't control everything. Rosalie, you called my mom?"

Alice turned her glare to me. Rose looked sheepish. I sighed.

"Whatever. I'm going home and I'm going to enjoy my winter break and Christmas. Good bye." I said. I was tired and didn't want to deal with it now. I was going to have to talk to Rose about her conversation with my mom.

"Bella?" Alice called.

"What?" I really just wanted to go home.

"Right now's not a good time to start a garden." She saw my confusion. "You were going to start the garden that you bought the seeds for in October. Don't start it now." she said.

I giggled, rolling my eyes. No matter how annoying she was, you gotta love Alice.

**1,832 words without the author's note! Very long chapter! Kinda... **

**And for those of you who want Rosalie and the mom's conversation (I just realized that there should be a chapter on it) I've decided that I should do it. But I'll either have to a) type it up in my very busy schedule, making the update take even longer b) add it somewhere around chapter 40 c) I just shouldn't do it**

**So please 'vote'!!!**

**And my next update will probably be on Friday :)**

**thanks and review!**


	36. Christmas Day in the Morning

**From the song 'I Saw Three Ships'. And yes, I know it's a little late for Christmas. But I didn't want to rush too much. **

**And here's the answers to the scavenger hunt: **

**1) Mulan: **okay so I just realized that this one was VERY unfair and I'm sorry. I had just watched Mulan for the billionith time so…. Anyway, it was actually in the author's note. The: and there's nothing you can do about it! You know how when Mulan goes into the water to bath and the short dude with the black eyes… Yow- don't know how to spell- says "I'm king of the rock and there's nothing you can do about it!" Sorry about that! It took me a minute to find it too….

**2)** **Finding Nemo**: Dory! But I didn't really count that as a reference because it was blatantly obvious. The 'just keep breathing' was one and the other was 'are you my conscience?' part. Remember how they're swimming and Dory starts the 'Just keep swimming' song? Then she forgets who she's swimming with so then she asks, 'who are you' then 'are you my conscience?'

**3) Twilight Movie: **yes, it was the fluorescents! 'It must be the fluorescent' from Edward about his eyes.

**And then a reviewer brought up a great point! It is all a reference to the Twilight Book! Lol **

**And thanks so much to my reviewers!! **

"Right now's not a good time to start a garden." She saw my confusion. "You were going to start the garden that you bought the seeds for in October. Don't start it now." she said.

I giggled, rolling my eyes. No matter how annoying she was, you gotta love Alice.

Chapter 36: Christmas Day in the Morning

Christmas. Finally.

We were going to have a party over at the Cullens. Well, as in me and the Cullens. My mom said she had something else to do. I felt bad for leaving her alone, it was Christmas after all. And we had gotten a lot closer. It wasn't exactly perfect between us, but it was better.

I had already had a dinner with my mom before she told me to get moving to the Cullen's. I told her she could come, but she shook her head. I smiled, kissing her on the cheek before skipping up to my room to get married.

All I knew was that we were going to exchange gifts. A Christmas dinner wasn't even included, which surprised me. Just because the Cullens didn't eat human food didn't mean that and I didn't. And they were having me over for Christmas.

I sighed. I pulled on my red dress that had a V-neck and went down to mid-thigh. I strapped my Jimmy Choo red heels on and then brushed my hair back. I quickly added a little mascara, lip gloss, then flew out the door, a red Chanel coat in hand.

The sooner I got to see Edward, the better. And this was only because Alice and Rosalie had dragged me shopping all of the week before. I didn't see how they could go to the mall for 5 days in a row and still find things to buy. They were crazy.

When I pulled up to the Cullen's driveway, I spotted eight snowmen. I laughed, stepping out to examine each one. It was such a human thing to do.

The first one was obviously Emmett, which you could tell by the snow that was packed onto the snowman's stick arms. I chuckled. It would be just like Emmett to do that.

The one next it was Rosalie, where a pair of strappy red heels had been sacrificed to stand in front of it. Next to that was Jasper, who had drawn a confederate flag onto his snowman's chest. Alice's was on his left, shorter than the rest with what looked to be like a real credit card in its stick hand. I leaned closer to examine it. It dated back to 1965. She still kept her old, expired credit cards? Freaky pixie.

Then I stopped. It was Edward. He had even placed green stones in for the eyes, from when he was human. I smiled sadly. How I'd love to see Edward human, breathing with his brilliant emerald eyes.

I was shocked to see me next to him. I had scarf around my neck, exactly like the one I had worn the first day I had met them. I smiled fondly at that memory. Alice must have bought two for me, after throwing out the one that had become water logged.

And I was standing next to Carlisle, who had the design of a doctor- a snake wrapped around a stick- embossed in his chest. He was even wearing the stethoscope around his neck. And lastly there was Esme, her hands crossed over her stomach. And what looked like to be paint colors in her hand. The one's that were in Home Depot that you could choose from. I laughed.

Each and every snowman was personalized for the Cullens. Then I felt a cool breath on my neck.

"Do you like them?" Edward's velvety breath asked.

I laughed, turning around. "Of course I do. I might even consider leaving you for the snowman Edward." I joked.

"Oh, but can snowman Edward do this?" he asked, leaning in to kiss me. I smiled against his lips, responding enthusiastically. My arms reached up behind his neck and his marble arms snaked around my waist. We only stopped when we heard someone whistle. Probably Emmett.

"Wow, if you guys keep doing that, then all the snow's going to melt!" Emmett's boisterous voice said behind us.

I frowned, turning to face him. Edward kept his arm around my waist, holding me close.

"Emmett, you know I love you like a brother, right? But sometimes you can be so damn annoying!" I seethed. This just set Emmet off on another round of laughter.

"I love you too little sis." He said smirking.

I sighed, taking Edward's hand in mine and lead him inside. I was excited to see what was planned.

"Hey mom." I said, nodding to Renee, Esme, and Rosalie. It was little weird, but they were _all _my moms. Rosalie took care of me, Esme was just plain motherly and took care of me, and Renee was my birth mom and recently started to take care of me. So now I had three moms.

They all nodded in response, knowing that I was talking to all of them.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked.

"Nothing." Everyone responded a little too quickly. I looked over at Emmett, expecting him to crack first.

"Well, you'll find out later Bella." I pouted. It was Christmas after all.

"Later Bella." And he smirked. He knew I hated surprises. And I had the feeling that I was going to be surprised.

-:-

We started with Emmett, who handed out his gifts to everyone, smiling from ear to ear. I didn't even want to know what he got Rosalie, his wife. Probably something inappropriate.

I had gotten a Lacrosse towel set from him, as a joke because I almost always ended up in the lake every time I went to the park. He was sure to remind me of this. But I couldn't refuse them because they were just so soft.

Alice was next. And I was scared. She would have probably gotten me something outrageously scary, like a dress fit for strippers, or a pair of 6 inch heels. I can do 3, sometimes 4 inch heels, but that was my limit.

I opened up my gift to see a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels staring up at him. 6 inches. I was going to die. I smiled weakly at Alice, who grinned smugly back at me. I hope she didn't expect me to be able to walk in them.

Edward gave me an emerald necklace set that I imagined would match his 'human eyes' perfectly. I smiled up at him, my eyes watering a little. It was such a nice gift. I kissed him on the cheek, whispering "thank you" in his ear. He seemed pleased.

Rosalie had dared to get me a red dress with a plunging neckline and no back. I was surprised because she _was_ like my mom and the dressed seemed very… indecent. But I loved it anyway. It was so soft and silky.

Esme and Carlisle had gotten me, and everyone plane tickets. They were to Paris, France. And I was psyched. France was amazing.

Jasper had gotten me a beautiful music box. When you opened it, these glass elephants that stood on a mirror would spin around, their tusks were gold. The edges of the mirror were gold too. I smiled and looked up at Jasper. I loved it. He smiled and nodded.

I had given Alice car keys to a new Porsche, for which she was bouncing up and down, completely and totally excited. "Thank you Bella! Thank you thank you thank you!"

To Edward, I had given him concert tickets to go listen to a band he said he liked. But also a more sentimental gift- a diary from when I was in my freshman years. He seemed surprised to have been given such an intimate gift, but he was my other half and deserved to know everything and anything about me.

And then there was one last gift under their tree. It seemed to be a small box, addressed to me. I opened it and gasped. Car keys. They were from Renee and belonged to a Ferrari Enzo Coupe.

Silence. That soon exploded.

"Dude, that's a hot car!"

"Oh can I drive it?"

"Do you even know _how _to drive it?"

"Can I look under its hood?"

"Yes Emmett, I know how to drive it. And yes, I know that it's a 'hot car'. And yes Alice you can drive it. And yes, Rosalie, you can look under its hood.

Now…. What were we planning on doing?" I asked them. And then they all smiled. At the same time. This couldn't be good.

"Snowboarding!"

I groaned. What a great way to spend Christmas day, falling off a snowboard in freezing cold weather onto wet snow. Not that I had anything against snow. But if you fell every two seconds from standing on a snowboard, you'd hate it too. And my balance on a snowboard, well, let's just say it sucked. Great.

**So, 1,519 without the any author's notes!! and to make up for my mistake from last chapter, I made chapter 40, which I just completed last night, a little over 2,000 words! My longest chapter (I think...) yet!! **

**A preview for my next chapter: Snowboarding**

"Edwarrrrrrrrd! How do you stop this thing?!" I screamed. I wanted to stop. I needed to stop if I was going to leave in one piece.

And then I saw it. A cliff.

**she might have better balance than the Bella in Twilight, but snowboarding is still too much for her! lol**

**So, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!!**

**I've updated a whole day earlier than I thought possible! lol**


	37. Snowboarding

**Saturday! My favorite day of the week! And no school Monday! **

**Anywho, thanks so much to all my reviewers!**

_I groaned. What a great way to spend Christmas day, falling off a snowboard in freezing cold weather onto wet snow. Not that I had anything against snow. But if you fell every two seconds from standing on a snowboard, you'd hate it too. And my balance on a snowboard, well, let's just say it sucked. Great._

**Chapter 37: Snowboarding**

BPOV

So we had driven to a mountain that I didn't even know existed. (AN: I don't even know if there are mountains in Washington. Pretend with me.)

I was balancing on the snowboard. Well, attempting to. The snow, being snow, was wet. And slippery. And the fact that the board was supposed to slide on it didn't help.

I was clinging to Edward's arm, but my feet were still slipping beneath me. Stupid snowboard! Though, I of course didn't say anything because it was a gift. We were waiting for Alice to come back from the gift shop.

"Bella, just try and stand up. I promise I won't let you fall." Edward tried to reassure.

"Edward, you don't get it! This thing is out to get me!" I said. If I tried to stand up, then my legs would either split, slip in front of me, causing me to land on my butt, slip behind me, causing me to fall on my face, or slip too far left or right, causing me to land on my side. I had gone snowboarding before. Not pretty.

We were on the top of the slope and were going to go down to the bottom. Seems easy enough. But it was also a race. As in, me racing against vampires. Little human Bella. And they had promised not to cheat, at which I snorted at.

"Bella, this'll be fun! Fun to watch you fall." Emmett said, muttering the last part just loud enough for me to hear, which ended in loud guffaws.

"Shut up Emmett!" I snapped. Not everyone could be as graceful as a vampire. I mean, I wasn't not graceful, but I wasn't exactly little Miss Ballerina Tutu either. And balance on a snowboard in snow was hard. It was a lot easier on concrete, when we were just trying them out.

"Shh Bella. He's just trying to get a rise out of you. Don't worry. You'll be fine." Edward tried reassuring me again. And it failed, again.

"Jasper, some help please?" I asked Jasper. Maybe he could calm my frazzled nerves.

"I've been trying for the past ten minutes Bella. Your emotions are all over the place. You are officially and emotional wreck." I shot a glare at him. Stupid, perfectly balanced vampire!

"So… what exactly are we waiting for?" Emmett asked. Again. He wasn't very patient.

"Alice." I said simply. No need to explain her. She was her own adjective and noun, no explanation needed.

And then when she came back, I was scared. Not because she had ten bags in her hands, but because that meant that we were actually going to snowboard. As in, go down the hill. By ourselves.

"Okay, are you guys ready? This is going to be so much fun! Esme and Carlisle are at the advanced slope. But we're going to have fun! I know it!" Alice exclaimed, her usual happy, chipper self.

I nodded nervously. There was no going against Alice.

Emmett winked at me, smiling. "Break a leg Bella!"

"Okay, on your marks. Get set. Go!" she said and everyone took off.

I leaned my weight forward and felt my stomach drop.

"Alice! I thought this wasn't a raaaaaa- aahhhh!"

The mountain was steepening and the speed was increasing. The board underneath me was falling down the hill, me being attached to it. I had no control over the board. Which I was supposed to. But it just wouldn't listen to me!

"Go Bella go!" Alice cheered after me. I would normally have turned to glare at her, but I was afraid that that would turn off my balance.

"Edwarrrrrrrrd! How do you stop this thing?!" I screamed. I wanted to stop. I needed to stop if I was going to leave in one piece.

And then I saw it. A cliff. One of those little cliffs that land you on the next hill that's right below it. The ones where you snowboard or ski off of and land. When you're and expert? Yeah, there was one of those. Right in front of me.

I felt my snowboard move under me feet, and felt the absence of ground under me. I was flying through the air. I raised my glove-clad hand to cover my eyes, screaming the whole while "AHHHHHH!" if I had any fluid in me, I would have peed my pants. No wonder Alice told me not to drink any water this morning.

Then I landed with a harsh _thud_ and felt my legs give beneath me. They had landed slightly behind my body, so I was in an upward slant, my head about a foot in front of my feet. I felt myself hit the cold snow and begin tumbling down the hill, which was even steeper than the one that I was on before.

So now I was rolling down the hill, snow gather on me with every spin, so I looked like a giant snowball. I gave up screaming because it did nothing. Where was Edward? Alice? Rosalie? Even Jasper? I knew Emmett wouldn't do anything.

When I felt the ground even out a little, I let out the breath I was holding. Solid, no sloped ground! And then as I was spinning and my vision was completely off, I saw it. A green and brown blur. That I was heading straight for.

With a sickening crunch, I had managed to land myself right up against a tree. This is what happens when I go snowboarding.

"Bella! Bella! Are you okay?" Edward's frantic voice said, but it seemed as if my head was underwater. His face swam in and out of vision, appearing before disappearing.

"I'm so sorry Bella! Alice, how did you not see this?" he said, first to me then to Alice.

"She changed it when she decided to cover her eyes but by then she was tumbling too fast for us to be able to stop her without giving ourselves away."

The background 'music' to this was Emmett's laughter. He was no doubt doubled over by my predicament. But I was too out of it to care.

"Alice, she's not responding. I've been trying to get a response out of her for the last minute." He had? Huh… I would have thought that I'd have realized that. "I think we should call Carlisle." He said, concern and worry lacing his voice.

That sounded like a good idea. A doctor who could save me.

When I heard another laugh though, I almost growled. This was not funny!

"She-she was serious when she said she was bad at-at snowboarding!" Carlisle would have sounded out of breath to any other human, but I knew it was from laughing so hard. Stupid vampire.

"Here Edward, lay her down here." Where? I felt a warm mattress and pillow beneath me, so I assumed that we were inside.

He took off my jacket to inspect my arm. I felt his cool hands poking and prodding the skin and bones to see if anything was broken.

"Her arms seem fine." He said before moving onto my jean clad legs. I hissed when he touched my right leg.

"It seems that her right leg is broken. I think we should take her to the hospital too, so we can get a CAT scan of her head. I hope she didn't have a concussion." Carlisle was in full doctor mode now. About time. I hoped that this would teach them not to laugh at me or my pain.

I still heard Emmett laughing in the background. Scratch that. They still found it hilarious. Well, a certain someone still found it hilarious.

I tried to talk and communicate with them that I was fine. My leg was probably only bruised. But I couldn't find my voice. So I just gave up and closed my eyes, beginning to drift off.

"Bella, don't go to sleep. Not yet! Carlisle, she's starting to fall asleep!" Edward's frantic voice snapped me out of my half conscious state.

Yes, I was trying to sleep. Now shut up!

"Try and keep her up Edward. If she had a concussion, sleep wouldn't be an option."

Damn tree. Damn snowboard. And on Christmas? Life sucked. And then I realized that if I was going to be in a cast, then I'd be in a cast for the rest of my human life. Inhibited in a cast. For the rest of my human life. No walking by myself. No running.

Tears began to well up in my eyes. Not from pain- that was a dull throb- but from self pity. Then I felt a wave of calm sweep over me. Jasper. I smiled and fought to stay awake.

-:-

At the hospital, they took a CAT scan to show that I had no concussion. But they took an X-ray to show that I had broken my right leg. Damn Sam.

"Edward?" I croaked. I was doped up on drugs and could feel it.

His eyes immediately snapped to mine. "Are you okay Bella?"

I nodded slowly. "I'm not going to say I told you so." I muttered before drifting off to sleep.

Emmett POV

When we had arrived back at our house from the hospital, Edward set Bella down on his bed before turning on me, for I had stupidly followed him to his room with him.

"This is your fault Emmett!" Edward hissed at me.

"My fault? How the hell is it my fault?" I snapped back.

"Well, you were closest to her. You could have saved her!"

"You heard Alice. If we saved her, we would have revealed what we were!"

"And, you told her to break a leg!"

"Well, that was for good luck, you know! I didn't know she'd take it literally!" I defended myself.

We glowered at each other, staring each other down. Neither one of us was willing to back down.

"Stop." Bella murmured. We both looked at her to see if she had waken up. "Stop. Or I'll hit you with a pickle!"

Sleep talking. Definitely sleep talking. Unless those drugs had some effect on her brain…

Edward smacked me upside the head.

"Hey!" I whined.

"She's sleep talking!" he growled at me. I stuck my tongue out at him like the mature guy I was, stomping off towards Rosalie. She'd comfort me.

**Aww! I love Emmett!**

**So this chapter is long, 1,829 words! And I just typed up Chapters 42 and it's about 2,000 words! and another one, don't remember, is over 2,000 so these chapters are really getting longer!**

**I'm really sorry about not being able to update everyday anymore but I no longer have time to type up a chapter every day. So sad...**

**And has anyone read _A Tale of Two Cities_**_?_** Is it any good?**

**And don't forget to REVIEW!!**

**oh and preview of chapter 38: Packing**

_"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that every time I'm near you, your heart speeds up? Or the fact that your eyes glaze over a little. Or, of course, my wonderful kissing abilities." _

_Each time he said something, he brought his lips a little closer to mine. They were barely an inch apart now. _

_I couldn't take it anymore. I pressed my lips to his, tangling my hands through his hair._

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	38. Packing

**Wow thanks to all my reviewers! Just to clear up a few questions: **

**Q- Will there be any lemons?**

**A-** No there will not be any lemons. I plan on keeping this story rated T. Also, I have no experience writing- or experiencing- lemons, so I'm sure I would not do it justice.

**Q- How many more chapters will there be?**

**A-** Truthfully, I'm not sure. I have chapter 43 typed and that's only in February, so she has 2 months to go from then until she becomes a vampire. I think I'll end it around there, so probably only around 50 chapters. I might do a little bit of her vampire life, but this was mainly about a human Bella enjoying her last months of life and the fight to get her to give up her humanity, which she has already given up. Like I said, this IS a EXB story and that cannot happen if she dies.

**Q- Will there be a sequel?**

**A-** Probably not. I'm really no good at sequels and vampire BXE are done a lot. I don't think mine would be very interesting either because I enjoy writing about the things that make Bella human more so than vampire. I prefer AH, which I did in my first story _The World Hates Us._

**Q- When will you next update?**

**A- **I update fairly regularly if I may say so myself. During break, I typed one chapter a day and updated one chapter a day. But, now we are in the second semester of school and I no longer have that much time to type a chapter a day. But, my updates will be around every 2-3 days. During weekends, I will hopefully be able to update daily, but NO GUARANTEES.

**Q- Will you do Rosalie's and Renee's conversation on the phone?**

**A- **No, I will not. Most reviewers chose the C option of just don't do it. So I don't plan on it. Sorry for disappointing those of you who wanted it.

**And now a real A/N. This chapter is pretty much a filler, I'm sorry. Though pay attention to the end. *hint hint wink wink***

"She's sleep talking!" he growled at me. I stuck my tongue out at him like the mature guy I was, stomping off towards Rosalie. She'd comfort me.

**Chapter 38: Packing**

APOV

So now Bella was incapacitated by the little snowboarding incident. It _was_ kind of funny if you think about it. Bella Swan, captain of her soccer team from Phoenix yet once you get to snowboarding, she ends up hitting a tree and breaking her leg.

But… that meant Bella Barbie whenever I wanted to! It wasn't like she could get up and run away from me. Not like she could do that before- I was a vampire after all- but now she was completely defenseless.

I smiled to myself. Hm… maybe I should get more MAC eye shadow. Blue because Edward loved that color on her. Some more bronzer wouldn't hurt either. Though that one couldn't be MAC- Bella had an allergic reaction last time and her face broke out in a rash and pimples. I shuddered. That was _not_ a pretty sight. Especially since Bella looked like she was going to kill me. Maybe Cover Girl...

"Alice." Edward's voice whipped me out of my daydream.

"Yes Edward?"

"No makeovers! You should keep Bella's best interests at heart." He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's either you or Bella." I threatened.

If he was human, he would be sweating. He wanted to stick up for his girlfriend, but a makeover, Alice Cullen style, always scared the crap out of the guys. I didn't see why. Just a little straightening and a touch of bronzer could do wonders. Maybe even a little lip gloss to make their lips extra shiny and kissable.

"Edward don't give in!" Bella yelled from upstairs. She obviously hadn't heard my threat to her precious Edward.

"Alice, now is that really fair?"

"Yep." I replied, smirking. I knew he was going to sacrifice Bella.

"Now Alice, stop! We want everyone on good terms when we leave tomorrow." Esme's soft voice came floating down.

"Mom!" I whined. A makeover wouldn't ruin our relationship. If Bella was normal, than she'd totally appreciate it and forever be in my debt.

Edward snorted, reading my thoughts. I glared.

"Bella is normal! And no makeovers!" she pouted. It had nothing on Bella's pout, but a pout was a pout. And _I_ didn't want to be made over, as selfish as that sounds. I was a guy.

Alice, seeing that I was going to allow her to give Bella a makeover once we got to France, started jumping up and down.

"Shopping!" she screamed then ran outside to her car. I sighed, running my hand through my hair. Alice will be Alice.

BPOV

Edward was downstairs, trying to convince Alice that I didn't need a makeover while I tried packing. What to wear what to wear. But then again, knowing Alice, she would buy me at least ten outfits. So I'd only need to bring four. That sounded good. But then again… Esme said that our plans were entitled to change, whatever that meant. Alice was physic, so couldn't she make sure that our plans wouldn't change?

I sighed. Red blouse and jeans. Blue shirt and jeans. Denim shorts and white tank. Denim skirt and blue polo. Now shoes… Red Jimmy Choos were a must. Tommy Hilfiger flip flops. Nike sneakers just in case. Nine West stilettos. Blue Ralph Lauren flats. Hm… they didn't seem to match my 'scene.' I took them out and replaced them with the Juicy flats. And I'd need boots of course. Coach boots… then I'd need casual sandals. Well, a pair of Prada stilettos was a must have first. Maybe my Kate Spade sandals with a smallish 3 inch heel.

Satisfied, I closed those two suitcases. Now I needed to work on entertainment.

Books. Romeo and Juliet. And Wuthering Heights. Great Expectations by Dickens. I loved Dickens. Hm… Holiday Romance too. And I couldn't forget Jane Eyre! Now… to choose between Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility all by Jane Austin. Pride and Prejudice was must bring. I put that on in first. And so was Persuasion. I stacked it on top of Pride and Prejudice. But I couldn't bring Pride and Prejudice and not bring Sense and Sensibility. So I put that one in too.

And I needed Mansfield Park. And Emma. And Northanger Abbey. I gave up and just put the whole collection in. It was too hard trying to choose. Then magazines. I knew I wasn't going to be getting any of my subscriptions, so I stacked a couple of Vogues into the same suitcase. You can never get tired of fashion. Well, you could. Unless you're Alice. Don't get me wrong, I like shopping and clothes enough to go. But Alice just drives it all out of perspective. I didn't want to step into another mall for at least another decade.

And then a few civil war books I had found. They were antique. Jasper would probably like them. And a few new medical books about the cerebral cortex and stuff for Carlisle. But it wasn't modern. It was from the Muslims when they did brain surgery. I hadn't read it yet and didn't plan on it, but Carlisle would surely find it… interesting. And Edward would like all those books too. And a couple of my wonderful classics too.

So clothes. Check. Shoes. Check. Books. Check. Electronics!

I got out another suitcase- only my fourth. But my third one was tiny, so technically it didn't count. It was a small Coach suitcase with wheels that was going to be my carry-on.

So, my fourth suitcase I put in my laptop, which had its own matching Coach case of course, and then my cell phone charges, differentiating plugs because Europe's electricity was different, my laptop charger, my iTouch, iTouch charge, and a spare set of headphones, just in case. Maybe I should pack another case for my iTouch in case my first one got dirty. Oh and an X-box might make Emmett and the boys happy. Then again, that normally made them break out into fights…

But the Wii! I couldn't forget the Wii! A great way to work out too! I unplugged the Wii box and took that along with four remotes for it and all my games, including the Wii Fit board and the Dance, Dance Revolution game board. A great way for exercise without even having to step out of the house!

I heard a chuckle at the doorway. I didn't bother looking up, knowing it was Edward.

"What?" I asked. What was so funny?

"It's so amusing watching you pack, that's all." He replied in his velvet voice.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Since you gave up trying to choose which Jane Austin books to bring." He said, smirking.

Then a thought hit me. A stereo! And some CDs. I never really had time to upload ALL of them to my iTouch/ iTunes.

"Edward, can you hand me my stereo?" I asked him since he was closer to it then I was. And I couldn't exactly walk that easily with my crutches and all.

"Don't worry Bella, I uploaded all you CDs last night. Alice told me I would need to. And it's another Christmas present." He tacked on at the end. He was probably too afraid to tell me that it was a sucking up present because he found my current predicament funny.

"Really? Thanks Edward! I knew there was a reason I loved you!" I joked.

He narrowed his eyes, though the fact that he was smiling kind of ruined the effect.

"Oh really? Just that?"

He was by my side in a flash, his forehead against mine. I felt my heart speed up.

"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that every time I'm near you, your heart speeds up? Or the fact that your eyes glaze over a little. Or, of course, my wonderful kissing abilities."

Each time he said something, he brought his lips a little closer to mine. They were barely an inch apart now.

I couldn't take it anymore. I pressed my lips to his, tangling my hands through his hair. He brought his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

We were interrupted by a very indiscreet cough. We broke apart, both of us surprised by the interruption. I guess his mind reading abilities failed to come into effect when he was… occupied.

"Mom." I said, thoroughly embarrassed. Nothing ruins a moment like a mom catching you making out with her boyfriend.

"Now honey, I know you're responsible and all, but please, no funny business on this trip. And this goes to you too Mister!" she said, looking at Edward. I sighed, rolling my eyes.

First off, Edward was too much of a gentleman to do anything. Second, we'd be under the watchful eyes of Esme and Rosalie, my second and third mothers. Thirdly, it wasn't like I'd be able to give birth to the kid, if there was going to be one, anyway. It would take 9 months, 9 months that I didn't have.

"Mom, Edward's very old fashioned. Trust me, nothing's going to happen. Also, Esme and Carlisle will be with us. And Emmett would always be there to ruin the moment too. You have nothing to worry about."

She sighed. "I guess I'm just being a silly mother. But you're going off to Paris with your boyfriend and his family!" she exclaimed. "And I'm going to miss you! I might go back to being uptight without you around!"

"Don't worry mom, I'll be back in two weeks." We were only going to Paris for two weeks.

"Oh um… yes. Only two weeks. I should go check on… um… my garden." And she fled out of the room.

Now that wasn't weird or anything. "Edward, is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Yes Bella, there is. I love you." and then he pulled me in for another kiss.

**Aww so sweet! **

**Normally I'd say, if you have any questions, ask me in your review or PM me, but please, check on top first because I have answered the most common questions asked. If your question is not on the list above or you would like it to be further clarified, then ask. **

**This chapter is 1,717 words without the Author's Note! And you'll read in later chapters about the luggage problem. Alice has no limits. Carlisle does lol. And then Bella to the rescue.**

**Preview of chapter 39: Shoes**

****

_"Alice, don't get me wrong. I like fashion. Maybe even love. But you just take it to the whole next level!" _

_I sighed. There was no way to get this into her head, was there? "Bella, you can never go overboard into fashion." _

So, PLEASE REVIEW!


	39. Sleep

**So I have good news and bad news. I'll start with the good news.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers! Thanks so much!! Oh and I typed up two chapters last night, each 2,000 words! And a dangerous cliff hanger with it lol**

**And then the bad news. The PC crashed. So now there's only one computer- my laptop. So it's been taken from my room and placed into the kitchen. And now I have limited access to my words documents and such and will not have as much time as I normally do to type the chapters. All because three people now have to share my laptop. Joy. Not.**

Now that wasn't weird or anything. "Edward, is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Yes Bella, there is. I love you." and then he pulled me in for another kiss.

**Chapter 39: Sleep**

APOV

Bella was going to be so excited! And she was right, she didn't need many outfits. Paris was the fashion capital! Which meant shopping! Shopping, shopping and more shopping!

I knocked on the door to Bella's room, where she and Edward were groping each other.

"Alice!" Edward yelled, obviously about my earlier comment.

_Stay out of my head then Edward. If you don't like what you hear, then don't listen to it! _

He growled. We both knew full well that that wasn't possible. He couldn't just turn it on and off.

"Bella, let's go! I'd ask if you were done packing, but I know you are. I'm Alice after all."

"Coming Alice." Bella's voice, wary, came through the door.

I giggled. "I know you are Bella. But you plan on making this difficult. Come right out right now! Or I'll be in there with you and Edward!"

She sighed. "Come on Edward."

I heard him kissing her before pulling her up off the bed. Ew! I didn't want to know what they were just doing. But, I did.

"Shut up Alice. I never want to know what you and Jasper are doing, but you never spare me!" Edward snarled as he opened the door.

"You don't have to listen." I said as I grabbed both their hands and started to dance downstairs. Edward grabbed all the luggage with his right hand.

"Um Alice. I have a cast on my right leg. I can't dance right now." Bella said sourly. She was still pretty pissed about the snowboarding accident.

"Don't worry, Edward will pick you up."

And he did. We ran down the stairs into the driveway.

"Oh Bella! I'm driving! I'm driving!" and I hopped into the front seat of my new Porsche, popping the trunk for Edward. He put all four suitcases of Bella's into the trunk, next to my five-yes, only five- and his two.

Bella was the only one who didn't know what was going on. And she wouldn't for a while. I loved surprising that girl!

"Come on Edward! He jumped into the backseat with Bella as I peeled out of her driveway.

"So Bella, are you excited? Of course you are! I'm so excited! They have so many shopping opportunities! I saw this adorable pair of Manolo Blahnik heels and they are a must have!" I squealed.

Bella and Edward sighed, deciding to zone out of my ramblings. And I could not allow that!

So I continued talking about fashion when I popped a question on Bella.

"You know what, I saw a pair of Gucci shoes too. So Bella, is it okay if I give you a makeover every single day? The shoes would look great with a brown shirt with an empire cut then a pair of skinny jeans! But not navy ones, white ones with holes."

Silence. "So, can I?"

"Sure sure Alice, whatever you say." It was obvious she had no idea what I was talking about. Perfect.

"Thanks so much Bella!" then I pulled into the parking lot of the airport, right behind Emmett's Jeep.

"Love, do you even know what you just agreed to?" Edward whispered into Bella's hair.

"I agreed to something?" she was more out of it than I thought.

"Yes, love. You agreed to let Alice dress you up every single day."

Bella groaned. But she didn't argue because she knew there was no way she could win. "At least I only have two weeks of this torture, right?"

Silence. I decided to break it. "Torture? It's not torture it's—"

"Alice, don't get me wrong. I like fashion. Maybe even love. But you just take it to the whole next level!"

I sighed. There was no way to get this into her head, was there? "Bella, you can never go overboard into fashion."

EPOV

Ah the irony. Alice took fashion too far. Everyone in the family knew that. Except her. But I loved Bella for putting up with it for so long. We could at least resist Alice. But Bella was human.

And most time it was voluntary because she felt bad for Alice. So sweet of her. And she did appreciate fashion. Alice just… overly appreciated it.

I took Bella's hand in my left hand and took our luggage in the other. Even for me, it was a lot. She packed so much!

"Bella, what do you have in here?"

"What, is it too much for my big, strong, vampire boyfriend?" she teased me.

I grimaced. "Just answer the question Bella."

"Well, one suitcase is almost empty, it just has clothes. Alice and I are most definitely going to go shopping. I even want to go shopping in Paris. And if Alice is the price, then I'll take it." She teased Alice.

Alice just stuck her tongue out at her. So mature.

"And then I have a suitcase for shoes. And one for books. And one for my electronics. Did Emmett bring his X-box?"

I chuckled. She could be so silly. "Yes, of course he did. Emmett and Jasper wouldn't give up their hobby for anything in the world."

"I bet you they would. A woman's appeal is always more… alluring than a video game." She smirked. I sighed. I didn't want to bet with her. I would feel guilty taking her money.

_You wouldn't be taking her money. She'd be taking yours._ Alice said smugly in her thoughts. I sent her a glare.

"I'm sure you're right love." _She is right._ Alice 'said.' I rolled my eyes and kissed the top of Bella's head.

"Come on love."

We walked into the airport, hand and hand, to Gate 16, where we met the rest of our family.

"So Bella, you excited to go to Paris?" Jasper asked.

She shrugged. "What's not to be excited about? I mean, I get to spend two weeks with my favorite people in the world, including my boyfriend, and I get to miss school." She tried to sound nonchalant but I could hear the excitement behind her voice.

"Oh and it's another thing on my list." She tacked on. I looked at her quizzically.

"You see, I made a small mental list of what I wanted to. I just see something I want to do and add it on. And my goal is to do all of it before I… you know, bite the dust. And I wanted to see the world." She said, grinning by the end.

I narrowed my eyes at her. I thought she had agreed to become one of us. And Alice had the vision of it. Was she changing her mind already? I looked at Alice, who looked into Bella's future. Red eyes.

I looked at her, my love, just as she closed her phone. A text message? A call?

I sighed and put my arm around Bella. I was just about to speak when the attendant's voice rang over the loudspeaker.

"All passengers for flight 1438, please board. And the Mr. in the grey shirt with the Coach bags- feel free to ask me for _anything_ you need." And then she winked in my direction. Huh, I never would have taken her for a lesbian.

"Ha Bella, it looks like you've got a fan club."

She rolled her eyes. "She wasn't talking to me. I'm not a 'Mr.' and I'm not wearing a grey shirt."

I looked down. Oh, I was wearing a grey shirt. My mistake.

"Jeez Edward, couldn't you read her mind?" Bella asked, curious.

"No love, I was too distracted by the beautiful creature I have in my arms." I said as I kissed the top of her head while leading her to our first class seats.

"Ladies first." I gestured to window seat.

She smirked, muttering under her breath "Emmett was right."

"About what?" What had my idiotic brother said this time?

She smirked again, trailing her arm mindlessly down my arm. "That you were totally whipped."

At first I didn't know if I should be mad at Emmett or amused. I chose the latter.

"He's right, Bella. That's what love does to you." and I kissed her quickly on the lips.

"And I love you." I whispered.

"As I love you." she said before covering my lips with hers again.

Emmett interrupted the moment by making gagging sounds in the seat behind us.

"Get a room you too." He joked.

I was about to respond but Bella beat me to it. "We are Emmett, you're just in it with us."

He laughed and then returned to ravishing Rosalie. Well, ravish is too strong. Fervently make out and grope is better.

Bella shuddered and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"I love you Edward." And she closed her eyes.

I smiled into her hair. "You are my life."

I didn't know if she heard me or not, because she was asleep already. How much sleep did a teenage girl need? Was Bella getting too much sleep? Was she okay? Was it the cancer? Did we need Carlisle to check her out?

I was about to ask when Alice answered for me. "A lot, no, yes, no, no."

I looked at her warily. How could she be sure?

"Edward, she's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm sure her body's just preparing herself for Alice's shopping sprees." Carlisle said.

Alice stuck her huffed and pouted in her seat. I nodded, satisfied, and then turned my attention to watch my angel sleep.

Bella, my love.

**So this chapter's 1,675 words without author's notes! **

**And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I WILL NOT be doing a detailed account of Paris. Sorry!! You'll see in... next chapter? Don't want to spoil the surprise :)**

**And since I can't give you a preview of the next chapter because I can't open the OneNote thing I've been using, I'll give a little.... something else. **

**So, Bella and Edward have a very nice Valentine's day, she gets a concussion with Alice, and she has another near death experience. **

**My next update will be... probably Wednesday, maybe even tomorrow if I can type a chapter tonight :)**

**Oh and PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	40. Shoes

**Thank you very much reviewers! **

**I would like to thank some of my most constant reviewers: Mimi-Love-4ever, xX9SoftballChick9Xx, Stargirlrox-hearts-Avatar, redwinggurl, FRK921, SparklingTopazEyes, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., WannaBeBella13, Foam Weber, oceanlover14, bliingtastic, xoxoTayTayxoxo, Link's Ocarina Babe, babylopez2008 and luffin edward-bella 4eva. **

**Thanks so much for being reviewing for practically ever chapter or being really really supportive. I'm sorry if I've missed one of you but I only took names from the list of you who reviewed for the last chapter. **

**And to my reviewers who have really helped this story come along: twilightfan1313, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., SparklingTopazEyes, Foam Weber, oceanlover14 . Thank you so much for answering my questions and giving suggestions! **

"Edward, she's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm sure her body's just preparing herself for Alice's shopping sprees." Carlisle said.

Alice stuck her huffed and pouted in her seat. I nodded, satisfied, and then turned my attention to watch my angel sleep.

Bella, my love.

**Chapter 40: Shoes**

BPOV

France. Paris. The city of love. Finally!

We spent two week there, shopping, eating- well, I ate- croissants in little cafes, on top of the Eiffel tower.

And of course, shopping. I got another three suitcases full of clothes. I had to ship the rest home. Alice and Rosalie were worse though. We were only allowed three more suitcases, so they had to send four boxes each back home.

It was really amazing. Edward had taken me out for dinner on the top of it for New Years, with sparkling cider and candles. The whole works. And it was truly one of the best moments in my life.

If it was possible, I had fallen even more in love with him than before. I sighed. And now we were leaving. I really didn't want to leave. I enjoyed every minute of our trip.

Well, most minutes. If you had to stay in a suite with 7 people who didn't sleep, including Emmett, sometimes your nerves get a little frazzled. Cough cough Emmett.

And his less than conventional means to wake me up. Edward- he kisses me softly from my hairline down to my nose, finally landing on my lips. Alice wakes me up by bouncing on the bed. Esme woke me up by slightly shaking my shoulder and telling me it was time to wake up.

But Emmett? He's done the 'pour freezing cold water on her' tactic, causing Rosalie to scream at him. The 'put an ice cube down her shirt', again causing Rose to scream at him. Poking me incessantly until I actually wake up, bruising my arm, causing Rose to make him sleep on the coach for a week. And my all time favorite, the blow horn. Right in my ear. Great way to start the day.

"Sad to leave?" Edward asked me, his arms wrapped around me as we sat in the airport.

"Yeah, I really don't want to go back to Forks. I mean, yeah I miss my mom, but it's so much more fun just being away for a while with people I love. There's nothing else in the world I'd rather do." Then my brow furrowed, remembering Emmett. "Well, for Emmett I'd make an exception." I teased.

"Hey! You know you love me!" Emmett retorted.

"Yeah, I guess. But in your own special way."

"I bet that if I ignored you for a whole three days you'd be begging me for more attention 'cause you missed me so much!" he said arrogantly.

"I wouldn't miss you for _three _days." If it was just three days. If it was any more, I'd miss my big, lovable teddy bear of a brother. But I wasn't going to tell him that. "But I doubt you'd even be able to ignore me for three days."

He scoffed. "Wanna bet?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Sure."

Edward and Rosalie groaned while Esme just laughed. She still remembered the bet she had made with Emmett before Edward had met me. And how Emmett had already broken the rules of his 'punishment' for losing the bet.

"Okay, if I win, then… I get to wake you up every morning for the next month." He smiled maliciously.

I groaned. I could _not_ let that happen.

"And if I win, then you are never to even think about touching me when I'm asleep. And let's add a pair of Prada stilettos in on top."

He looked at me funnily. "Bella, I am a _guy_. I don't wear stilettos." He spoke slowly.

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really? I never would have guessed." I joked. "Alright, fine. I threw those in for Rose. So that way, she could get a little something too. Especially after that last bet you made with Esme about Edward being gay and how you lost but still got it on with Rose." I shook my head in mock disappointment.

He scowled at me before kissing Rose fervently. He stuck out his tongue at me as I rolled my eyes.

"We got a deal?"

"Yup." And I stuck at my hand to shake on it, which he shook enthusiastically, bobbing it up and down in exaggerated movements.

"Emmett, you might forget that Bella's human. You're going to pop her shoulder out." Edward hissed.

Emmett laughed. "I'm just saying good bye to my sister for the next three days." He said before letting go.

"So, you're betting that you two will be able to ignore each other for three days with no contact whatsoever? Pretending the other doesn't exist?" Jasper asked.

We nodded. "And I thought my family was crazy _before_ we met you." he muttered.

Emmett and I both glared- which I don't know, I'm just assuming, because he doesn't exist, remember?- and smacked him on the back of the head. Though I had trouble reaching…

"OW! What was the for Bella? I mean, I expected it from Emmett. But you too Bella?" Jasper whimpered in my direction.

I snorted. "Get over it Jasper. Anyway, it's not like I hurt you. Talk to—" I stopped. I almost said Emmett. Damn. And he knew it. He was smirking in my direction. "the hand." I finished, using the old saying 'talk to the hand.'

They both smirked- I mean, Jasper- smirked in my direction. He was the only one involved in the conversation after all. Me and him.

Damn! Ignoring Emmett was harder than I thought!

Emmett POV

How could I ever agree to this stupid bet? I already missed my sister and it had only been one day! On the plane, she fell asleep on Edward's lap. Well, she fell asleep on his lap in the airport. So he carried her onto the plane where she slept.

And when she slept, she talked- which had yet to come today. And when she talked, I'd always tease her about it in the morning. But since the bet… I wouldn't be able to do that.

But The Wonderful, Amazing, Handsome, Strong, Funny and Dashing Emmett Cullen never backs down from a bet. Edward snorted. I glared at him.

_Stay out of my head!_

"Why does everyone say that to me? It's not like I can control it!" he whined. I just glared at him.

His lips curved up into a crooked smile, the one that Bella loved.

He raised his eyebrows, wondering how I knew that.

_Her face always lights up whenever you smile that smile and her heart starts beating a hundred miles a minute. Duh!_

He chuckled and looked down at Bella, who was in his lap. We were all in first class and I was in the row next to Edward's and Bella's.

Then she started whimpering softly that human ear's wouldn't catch it. Her lips were mouthing words that remained unsaid, merely slipping into the air as silence.

I scrunched my forehead, similar to how hers was. But mine was in worry. Was she okay? Was she having a nightmare?

"Don't leave. Stay. Please." She cried silently, my super duper vampire hearing barely catching it.

My heart, if it was still beating, would have stopped. I should have known that Bella would still dream about her father's death. And I ached to wrap my arms around my little sister and tell her it was just a dream…

But that stupid little bet got in the way!

Edward would have smirked if Bella's dreams were better. As if to say "I told you so. You two are too connected as brother and sister to ignore each other for 3 days without being mad at each other." Because when Bella got mad, she really knew how to hold a grudge.

Edward hastily nodded to both comments in my head while soothingly rubbing his hand down her back, trying to calm her.

I sighed, sitting back in my chair, utterly useless. Edward glared as if to say 'no you're not. Get off your arrogant butt and help out!'.

Wow. It was like _I _was the mind reader now. He rolled his eyes, but it was evident he agreed with my imagination of the dialogue between the two of us if it was to happen.

I got up and went over to Bella, whispering in her ear.

"Don't worry little sis. It's not true what's happening in your dreams. Your big brother's here to fight them all off."

I smiled. I really liked being a big brother. I was kind of a big brother to Alice, but I knew that she could take care of herself.

Bella jerked awake. She sat up, her eyes wide with fear. I wanted to know what her dream was, to tell her that it was all in the past. Just because I had a feeling that it was about Charlie, I didn't want to be the one to bring it up and possibly unnecessary pain with it. It still hurt Bella to be reminded of Charlie.

"Are you alright Bella?" Edward and I asked at the same time.

Hey! That was my job as big brother!

"It's my job as her boyfriend!" Edward hissed back quickly that Bella wouldn't be able to hear.

"Hmm? Oh… yeah. I guess." She mumbled the last part, casting her gaze down.

"Bella? What's wrong?" I asked. My big, strong little sister was being afraid of a dream?

"It's nice to see your tender side for once Emmett. But she's my girlfriend!" Edward hissed again, too low for Bella to hear.

I rolled my eyes. I just needed to know what was wrong.

"Bella, you can tell m- us." I quickly corrected my statement.

"Emmett, Edward? Have you ever… felt mad at someone? Then if something were to happen to them, you felt almost… glad?" she was very frightened by this.

"No, not really sis. What do you mean?"

"It was that day again. July 28th. But this time, Renee was in the car with Charlie. And I was almost… happy… that she was gone. Because of all the pain she had caused me before. And I was so scared of that happiness.

And then she was alive, which really didn't make sense. And then I saw it. It was Charlie's burning body again. And I could only stand there, next to Renee, begging him not to leave me alone with her. Not to leave me alone like I knew she would." She finished softly, averting our gazes.

"Shh Bella. Shh." Edward said comfortingly, rubbing a calming arm down her back again.

"Bella, I thought you had already made up with your mom?" I asked.

"Yeah, I would like to believe that it's perfect. But just because she's there for me now… she wasn't in my life as a prominent figure for 16 years Emmett. She wasn't even at my party for my sweet 16. She wasn't at any. And now, I feel that she is kind of my mom. But… she had 16 years and 2 months. Those last 2 months, she knew I was going to die! And yet… she kept her distance."

"Bella, you're not going to die! You're going to join us in eternity." Edward interrupted. She nodded.

"I'm just saying that for human ears."

"So, it's all cool?" I was still confused.

"There's nothing anyone can do about it anymore. It's like global warming. We've had many a chance to slow it down but we haven't, not until recently. But now… it's too far to stop. A moving car that's speeding down the highway, the brakes broken." She whispered the last part, the memory of Charlie's death fresh in her mind. And a speeding car and the highway brought back the memory.

I didn't know what to say. So I didn't say anything. I went back to my seat and pulled Rose against my chest, who had been silent throughout our exchange.

"Oh and Emmett?" Bella said. I turned my head to her.

"You lost the bet. Again. But when you woke me up that one last time… it really wasn't that bad." She said.

I laughed. Trust Bella to remember the bet. "I guess I didn't last a day. Not even a few hours. You're just that special Bells." Then her last words struck me. "You mean you liked me whispering in your ear?" I waggled my eyebrows at her.

She groaned. "Emmett! You perv!"

"Love you too Bells!"

She sighed and leaned into Edward's chest again.

"You know, I was close to breaking too Emmett. I never knew how big a role my big, immature, annoying, perverted-"

"Jeez! I get the point!" I said, faking hurt.

"Let me finish! Big, immature, annoying, perverted, teddy bear of a brother played in my life." She said, smiling.

I smiled back. She really was the best little sister I could ask for.

"Oh and Emmett? I'm size 7."

I sighed. Girls and shoes. The pair of really expensive, though nothing to my huge bank account, heels that I owed her. I would never get the attraction. But looking down at my Rosie, I understood the attraction to girls.

Maybe if I understood the attraction to shoes… then I'd understand the attraction between girls and shoes. Hmmm….. another great idea Emmett Cullen!

Edward snorted, but I ignored him. Shoes….

**Haha you've really got to love Emmett!**

**So, this chapter's 2,320 words without author's notes!!**

**And you want to know how lucky you are? Remember how the other computer crashed? Well, this one lost internet! That would have really sucked. But we fixed it today! Yay! And for my happy dance, here's a chapter! **

**And of course, REVIEW!**

**And then last but not least, preview. Chapter 41: We love You Bella! In which the surprise finally becomes unveiled! **

****

_I narrowed my eyes at him. "Tell me Edward." _

_"Tell you what?" _

_"Tell me where we are!" _

_"In a plane." _

_I growled. "Edward." _

_"Did you seriously just growl?" his eyes were dancing with amusement. _

_"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! Tell me where we are right now or so help you God!" I almost screamed. I was __not__ in a good mood right now. _

I actually edited the last sentence a little so it wouldn't give it away.

And DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!


	41. We love you Bella!

**Sorry for the long wait (3 days) to update! lol **

**But I've been really busy with school. I really want to get straight A's this quarter.... **

**Anyway, thanks so much to my reviewers!**

Maybe if I understood the attraction to shoes… then I'd understand the attraction between girls and shoes. Hmmm….. another great idea Emmett Cullen!

Edward snorted, but I ignored him. Shoes….

**Chapter 41: We love you Bella**!

BPOV

When I woke up, I felt all disoriented. Where was I? I felt like I was moving, speeding down a driveway.

I looked up and out the window. Grass was flying by a smooth black road that I was currently on. With big wing shaped things sticking out the side.

Oh. They were wings. And I was on a plane. Then all the previous hours' events came back to me. Emmett lost the bet and owed me shoes after comforting me about a dream.

He really was such a good brother. I don't know what I'd do without him.

The intercom above beeped on. It spoke in some weird language. That wasn't English. Wasn't I supposed to have gone home by now? After France I was going back home, right?

I looked up at Edward in confusion, his amused eyes meeting my curious.

"Edward, aren't we supposed to be in America? Where are we now? Did we get on the wrong plane or something?"

"Nope." He replied, still smirking.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Tell me Edward."

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me where we are!"

"In a plane."

I growled. "Edward."

"Did you seriously just growl?" his eyes were dancing with amusement.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! Tell me what country we are in right now or so help you God!" I almost screamed. I was _not_ in a good mood right now.

"Well Bella, you should have asked that in the first place. We're in Italy. Simple as that." He said as if telling me the weather.

"Italy? Why are we in Italy? Is this some kind of joke? Why aren't we in America? Does my mom know about this?" I was panicking. Were they kidnapping me? Well, I wasn't worried about that, but my mom might be.

"Don't worry Bella. This is part of your Christmas trip! We're doing an all-around-the-world-trip! And Paris was our first stop. And we have you as our hostage for 3 months. The school agreed to let Esme and Carlisle home school you too."

"And now we're in Italy?"

"Yes. Is that alright?" he was suddenly worried. Sure, after I have my panic attack. Some boyfriend he is.

I rolled my eyes though, not wanting to make him suffer too long. "Of course it is Edward. I would have just appreciated a little heads up, you know? An all around the world trip. What other countries do we plan on visiting?" I was suddenly feeling very excited about it.

Going to different countries and doing different random things with my family and lover. And no school of course. How much better could it get?

APOV

"Oh, we don't know yet. Probably Greece, definitely Greece. And China. And Japan. And India. Oh and we can't forget Egypt! Oh oh can we go to Antarctica?!" I knew that we were going to all the countries except Antarctica because they didn't plan on it. But I could be very persuasive at times.

And I really wanted to go to Antarctica! And what Alice wants, Alice usually gets. Or else there's much pain and suffering ahead.

Edward grimaced as he read my thoughts, which he knew were true.

"Alice, I don't really think that's the best idea. What would we hunt?" Esme asked.

"Well, there's penguins. And wolves. And… and seals. But they're not as filling as the animals down here. Something about the water in Antarctica."

"Penguins, lovely." Edward said, rolling his eyes. (**Yes it's a very **_**Eclipse**_** like sentence lol)**

"You know, some species of penguins are endangered. It might be best if you just left them alone…" Bella cut in. Trust her to think about the birds.

"Don't worry Bella, we'll make sure to leave enough _if_ we go."

"Come on Edward! I see the future and we're going. That's final!" I said.

"Don't worry Eddie, it'd be fun." Edward slowly turned his head in the direction of the only person who called him Eddie. Emmett.

"Emmett, I told you not to call me Eddie!" he hissed.

Then we noticed that the plane had come to a complete stop and it was time to get off.

"Come on love." His tone softened whenever he spoke to Bella.

She smiled at him, thoroughly amused at the conversation. She took his offered hand and got up, stepping into the aisle with him to get off the plane.

"Edward, are we really going to Antarctica?" she asked.

He shook his head, throwing a glance in my direction. But I was smiling smugly. We were. Just wait until he heard what she'd say. He'd be putty in her hands.

"Because I think that'd be really cool. Travel all seven continents. Well, we'll have to go to… Chile too. And I want to spend the beginning of the new year in the Tower of Pisa." She ending, her lips curving up in a smile.

"Of course love, if that's what you want. But did you pack for Antarctica?"

"Silly Edward! We're going to go shopping!" I squealed as the rest of my family groaned. By now we were in the airport terminal, making our way to our suitcases.

The boys started lifting our suitcases and putting them to the side. We had a lot of luggage.

"No Alice, _you_ have a lot of luggage." Edward said.

"Hey! Bella has just as many suitcases!" I defended myself.

"Yes, but she only sent back one box full of clothes. You sent back four. She at least has some restraint." He shot back.

I decided not to bring Rosalie into this, but she had just as many clothes as me. Edward ignored me as he hauled another one of my suitcases beside me.

"Children, I think that each person should only have four suitcases. That's more than enough." Carlisle said.

All of our eyes bugged out. Well, all of the girl's eyes.

"Carlisle! That's not fair! We have so many clothes! And other things like shoes and coats then a separate one for bags and souvenirs and dresses!"

"Honey, do you really think that's best? There are so many clothes that I brought and I'm sure you'd like to see them on me."

"Carlisle you can't do that! Now I'll have to repack! And you know that won't work! Alice'll just drag us shopping again!"

Bella remained quiet. Everyone looked over at her.

"What, no words of wisdom Bella?" he asked, obviously irritated.

"Well Carlisle, it's really not my position to comment. If that's your decision, then that's your decision. And Alice, I do have a backbone, I just know when the right time to use it is. And right now isn't. Carlisle is our father and he has the final say. If you want to bring more bags, then I'm sure you can carry them." She said serenely while Edward looked at her with lust in his eyes. He found that attractive?

"Bella!" I whined.

She shrugged. "Alice, I'm going to have to limit my bags too. I'll just send home all the Wii stuff—"

"No!" Emmett screamed!

"I don't have room in my bag and neither do you Emmett. And I'll send home some of my shoes—"

"NO!" I screamed. We were the same size! So we could share. If she sent home some, then I'd have to bring more. Even less room.

"And some of my books—"

"NO!" Jasper, Edward and Carlisle exclaimed before they could stop themselves.

"Wait, you three _guys _read some of Bella's books?" Emmett said.

"Well, she has some good history books about the civil war that I haven't read yet." Jasper said.

"And of course, the books about the Muslim's brain surgery!" Carlisle added.

"I like all of Bella's books." Edward put in.

I smirked. I saw where Bella was going with this.

"Aren't you all vampires and can read them super quickly? I'm surprised you're not done by now. I can just lend them to you to put in your suitcases." She said.

"Well Bella, we don't exactly have room either. Alice went shopping for us and…" Carlisle trailed off.

"Well I can't exactly bring them all. I don't have room." Bella added suggestively.

"Well, you can just bring the books you like Bella." Edward said because they had the same taste.

"No! You're only saying that because you two like the same books! Bella, I haven't read those civil war books. And I don't want to wait 3 months. Bring those." Jasper said.

"Now now children. Bella, I think that you should bring the medical books. You might even find them interesting." Carlisle said. I stifled a giggle.

"I really don't have room. I could just send them all home…."

"No no. Don't worry about it Bella. You girl's can have all the room you need." He finally gave in, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. He had only had time to read one of the ten medical books that Bella had brought and he was eager to read the rest. What was he doing in Paris?

Oh bad images. Ew. Esme kept him very… busy.

"YES! We love you Bella!" Rose, Esme and I pulled her into a group hug. She saved us!

"Love you too guys." We didn't let go. "Mom. Can't. Breathe!" she said.

We hugged her tighter before letting go. But then Edward, Carlisle and Jasper decided to join the fun. Emmett, feeling left out, just pulled us into a family hug, with poor, suffocating Bella in the middle.

**1,678 words without author's note! **

**Also, I haven't had time to type a chapter, which I really kind of wanted to do. Let's just say that I overfilled the bowl that I put the liquid flan in (for a spanish project) and then tried putting it into the oven. Bad, bad idea. All over the oven, floor and counter...**

**Also, my mom just sent the PC to the people that fix it and I had no internet.... But now I do. But as people say, excuses excuses!**

**And PLEASE REVIEW!! **


	42. Skydiving and Scrapbooks

**Thank you very much reviewers! **

**And Averia. Blue, thank you very much for your suggestion! I will definitely try adding it :)**

**Also, please read author note at the bottom**

We hugged her tighter before letting go. But then Edward, Carlisle and Jasper decided to join the fun. Emmett, feeling left out, just pulled us into a family hug, with poor, suffocating Bella in the middle.

**Chapter 42: Skydiving and Scrapbooks**

BPOV

I never should have listened to Alice. Never. I was going to die. I knew it!

Heights I was fine with. But 10,000 feet up in the air, not so much.

We were standing in a plane, just the two of us. My leg, currently in a cast, was bulky and obnoxious. The guide was telling me that it most likely wouldn't throw off my balance, which I was afraid of.

If I was going to jump down from 10,000 feet up in the air, I wanted a smooth ride. Not something where I'd end up turned to the side because my right leg was weighing me down. I regretted leaving my crutches behind in the car. Now I couldn't whack Alice over the head with them.

"Don't worry Bella! It'll be fine! Trust me!" Alice chirped on my right, over the noise of the helicopter.

"Alice, I'm going to kill you! You told me we were going to the Tower of Pisa again because Edward was hunting so he couldn't take me! He'll kill you when we get back! _If_ we get back!" I hissed.

"Stop being such a worry wart. We did go to the Tower of Pisa. We drove by it." She answered. We were waiting for the instructor to tell us to jump.

"I was blindfolded! You told me you were going to surprise me! You know I hate surprises! But you used the stupid freaking pout of yours! I didn't even see the Tower and now I'm 10,000 feet up in the air, preparing to jump to my death! I can't believe Edward didn't stop you! Or Rosalie! Or Esme! They're going to kill you when you get home!"

"Geez Bella, it's not like this is dangerous or anything! You do more dangerous stuff every day, risking your life. And you're scared of a little jump? What happened to the fearless Bella I first met?" Alice asked.

"Then, I was sure I was going to die and I didn't care. Now, I actually have to care about surviving in one piece in order for the venom to work!" I said so only Alice could hear.

"Bella Bella Bella. You worry way too much. No matter how much bodily damage you have, as long as your heart is still beating, we can change you!" she exclaimed happily.

I was shocked. I had always kind of known that in the back of my mind. Edward told me about Esme. But I guess it had never really registered in my mind.

"And Bella, trust me. This is better than the cliff diving that you wanted to do. You stay nice and dry."

I smiled. "Okay Alice."

The instructor came up behind us. "Ready girls?"

We nodded. Now I was excited. I would be able to survive this. And have fun with the last few human months of my human life. As long as I kept my heart beating, then all would be fine.

"YEAH!" we shouted back, pumped.

"Okay, everyone grab hands! And on the count of three! 1, 2, 3!" Alice and I joined hands with each other and the instructor. We had to jump with an instructor, which I was glad when I first found out. He would keep me in one piece. But after the news Alice told me, I wished that it could be only the two of us.

And we jumped off the side of the helicopter. At first, my stomach we coming up through my mouth. At least, that's what it felt like. I was never one for roller coasters. And this was much worse than one.

Then it stopped. Or maybe I just go used to it.

"Alice, you're right! This is awesome!" I screamed as the air rushed past us.

"I know Bella! I told you you'd enjoy it!" she screamed back.

"I'll never doubt you again Alice! Unless it's about shopping!"

She shook her head in disappointment. She still had yet to make me love shopping as much as she did.

"Okay ladies! Get ready to open your parachutes!" the instructor yelled. I looked down. We were about 100 feet off the ground. We unlinked hands and put them on the button, ready.

"Now open them!" he yelled and we pressed the little button that did that. We slowly floated down to the ground and then landed.

Alice landed gracefully, the parachute billowing out behind her.

I was about to land like that, but the boot caught me off guard. Since both my legs were uneven, I ended up falling backwards onto the hard ground, my head hitting it with a loud _crack._

Alice winced and rushed to my side from where she was, which was about 50 feet away from me. I guess I landed in the wrong spot. My bad.

"Ow." Was all I could say before I passed out.

I woke up in the hospital. I could tell by the sheets, and floor. The _beep_ in the background also gave it away.

I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling because some certain Cullens were surrounding me bed. But I knew that they'd be white too. Definitely in the hospital.

"Hey guys." My voice came out raspy, as if I'd been asleep for a long time.

They all looked relieved. "Oh Bella, I'm so glad you're okay!" Rosalie exclaimed. She threw her arms around me.

"What happened?" I asked to no one in particular.

"You hit your head on concrete because you missed the landing area by… let's just say a lot. Only you could do that Bells. And then you had a mild concussion." Emmett said, somehow laughing about it.

"It isn't funny Emmett!" I groaned out.

He looked at me as if I had grown a second head. "Yes it is! They said that no one's actually done that before." He said, still laughing.

I was about to snap back when Edward cut in. "Shut up Emmett!" then he looked down at me, his eyes portraying anger, worry, and relief. "Are you alright love?"

"I'm fine Edward. Really. Can we go home now?"

"Soon. Carlisle's signing you out right now."

I nodded then decided to sit up. But Edward stopped me.

"The doctor said not to exert too much energy."

"Oh yes, because sitting up's going to drain me." I mocked. I just wanted to sit up! I glared at him and tried again. He sighed and didn't stop me.

My head was spinning from it. I groaned. He pursed his lips. "Bella, I'm not going to say I told you so."

"You know, when people say that, they are just saying I told you so." I snapped back.

I sighed. I shouldn't have yelled at him. He had warned me. "I'm sorry Edward. My head is killing me though."

"Don't worry about it love." And then he scooped me up.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To the car."

"Where's Alice?"

He eyes tightened and his jaw locked. "At the hotel room."

"Good, 'cause I need to talk to her."

"Esme and Jasper are at home, talking to her. She should have never brought you sky diving."

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, don't be mad at her. I told her I wanted to." I bit my tongue against my lie. I had actually made a big deal about not wanting to. But he didn't have to know that.

"Bella, it's brave of you to try and stick up for her, but she knew that I was going out hunting, so it was perfect timing. And she already confessed. And you suck at lying." He smiled a little at the last part.

"Shh, now rest." He laid me down in the back seat, my head resting on Rosalie's lap.

"Where are Carlisle and Emmett?"

"In the other car." he said before jumping in the driver's seat and speeding off.

I must have dozed off a little because the next thing I knew, I was on my bed, being shaken away by Alice.

"Yes, Alice?" I asked groggily.

"Oh, someone's supposed to wake you up every 2 hours." She said sadly. She obviously felt bad about my accident.

"Alice, I'd like to apologize."

Her eyes widened. I was surprised she hadn't seen this coming. "I'm sorry for making such a big deal out of it. It was fun."

"Bella, I'm so so sorry! You were right at the beginning though! Could you ever forgive me?"

I pretended to think about it. "Hmm…." I smirked as I saw her sitting on the edge of her chair, eyes wide. She looked like she would be crying if she could. I smiled. "Of course I forgive you Alice, though there's nothing to forgive."

"Try telling that to Edward." She mumbled before smiling, her energy restored.

I giggled. Yes, Edward would make a big deal about this. "Alice, I really did have a great time. Although, it is kind of a crappy way to spend my new year's in bed, but at least I have my family, right? What time is it anyway?"

"It's 6:30, January 20th. You've spent the last week in Italy with your amazing family."

"Oh, so we're leaving tomorrow? Anything special planned?"

She smiled, bouncing up and down, her head bobbing. "Yup! You're going to love it Bella!" she yelled, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of bed.

"Stop right there young lady." Carlisle's voice said from the doorway. We stopped. Well, Alice stopped and I was forced to stop too.

"Carlisle!" she whined.

"Alice, Bella needs bed rest." He said sternly.

"Carlisle, I'm fine. Really." I tired assuring him.

"That's what they all say Bella." He gestured towards the bed, saying that I should go back to sleep.

"I'm fine, really. And I'm not tired anymore. I can only get so much sleep. And tomorrow's the last day in Italy!" I pleaded with him. He sighed.

"Fine Bella. It won't hurt. Although we could bring it up—"

"Dad!" Alice whined before dragging me towards the living room of the suite.

"Ta-da!"

My mouth dropped open. Alice had decorated the living room with pictures of our stay in France and Italy. They were each threaded on a string, which hung from the ceiling. On the coffee table, there was a plastic tablecloth covering it, with the very same picture printed on it. As in, Alice had gone somewhere and gotten it professionally done. And on top of that was a big book.

The cover read "The Adventures of the Wonderful Cullens and Bella." Only needed one guess on who named it. Emmett.

I opened it and gasped. There were all the pictures that were hanging from the ceiling, but also more.

I had at least one picture with every single Cullen. Then there were pictures from the Eiffel Tower, The Tower of Pisa, and even some from skydiving. Then there were group pictures of all of us, many with Emmett doing some silly, stupid pose.

My eyes welled up. It was such a sweet gesture. And it must have taken a lot of time. "I love it Alice." I whispered.

"We all did it. We wanted you to remember the last months as a human." Edward said, his eyes watching me.

I smiled. "Thanks guys. I really love it."

And I was going to keep it for the rest of eternity, to remind me of my humanity.

**2,015 words! Yay! And that's without author's notes!**

**Also, I've added a new story, Race to the Top, an ExB romance. I did it for a school project and decided to Twilight-ify it, so I apologize for any mistakes it might have. **

***For the length of this story, I decided around 50 at first. But I'm having too much fun writing her human life! I'm on chapter 48 and she's still human. So I take it back. I don't want to be inhibited because it has to be 50 chapters. **

********PLEASE VOTE:**

**What should Bella's vampire power be? I've PMed some people, and here's the choices: **

**1- Bella can cause vampires to feel human and do human things, like sleep and make pretty babies-had to add that for Rosalie (credited to SparklingTopazEyes)**

**2- Bella can control love. People are always like, 'you can't control love' but it'd be pretty cool if she could (my idea) **

**3- Telepathy- moving things with her mind! (credited to oceanlover14) **

**4- Healing Powers- can heal people with cancer/ sickness (credited to HorsecrazyJr.)**

**Please vote! **

**And of course, PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	43. Valentine's Day

**Wow! 50 reviews! That's a new record! Thank you very very very much!!!! **

"We all did it. We wanted you to remember the last months as a human." Edward said, his eyes watching me.

I smiled. "Thanks guys. I really love it."

And I was going to keep it for the rest of eternity, to remind me of my humanity.

**Chapter 43: Valentine's Day**

BPOV

I sighed as I leaned my head against the wall behind me, my crutches leaning against the wall next to me. My feet and arms ached. Walking on crutches around a mall was tedious.

"Alice! Can we go yet?" I whined. I was shopping with Alice and Rosalie in Greece. We had already gone to China and Japan in the last month, which was… interesting. We climbed the Great Wall- well, Edward climbed it while I was on his back- and went to Tokyo and ate- well, I ate- all the sushi I could ever want.

And now we were in Athens, Greece, shopping for clothes.

"Bella! The perfect outfit takes time!" she shouted back.

"Alice, we've been shopping for 4 hours! And I'm using freaking crutches!" I whined. I really felt like I was on the verge of tears. I ached, I was tired- they woke me up at 7 in the morning- and hungry.

She didn't answer. "Alice! I don't even know where Edward's taking me! I can't shop for that!"

We were going to have Valentine's Day here- actually, tomorrow because today was the 13th- and Edward wouldn't tell me anything.

I sighed. Alice was obviously going to ignore me. I sank to the floor, brining my knees up to my chest. I put my forehead on my knees and closed my eyes.

"Hey pretty lady. You busy tonight?" some weird voice said, as if… altering it. I ignored it though. I was in a really _really_ bad mood.

"Go away you creeper or else I'll hit you with one of my crutches and make sure your manhood will never be the same again." I snapped. I heard laughter and a sigh, shortly followed by a crash and a grunt.

"Sorry love, that was Emmett, just playing around." A smooth, velvety voice said. I looked up into Edward's ocher eyes. He was kneeling down at eye level with me.

I froze then threw my arms around Edward's neck, pulling my face into his chest.

"Oh Edward! Today's just awful! I'm tired and I'm hungry and my feet and my arms hurt!" I sobbed into his chest. Well, I wasn't quite crying but if this day didn't get any better soon, then I would be. And since Edward was here, it was already looking up.

"Shh Bella. Don't worry. I'll save you from Alice." He whispered into my ear then standing up. He wrapped one arm under my legs so I was in a cradle in his arms.

"Edward! Don't you dare walk out that door with Bella!" Alice's high pitched voice screamed from across the store. Next second she was right in front of us, her eyes blazing.

"Alice! Please. Please let us go. My feet and arms hurt! I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm irritable! And I just want to go home!" I wailed.

Edward rubbed comforting circles on my back while glaring at Alice.

They seemed to be having a glowering contest, neither backing down. Then Alice sighed. "Fine Edward. But you owe me. I get to pick out your outfits for your date tomorrow."

Edward nodded before pulling me out of the store, my crutches in one hand.

"Thank you so much Edward! Have I told you how much I loved you today?"

He chuckled that incredibly sexy laugh of his. "No, but I know how much I love you." he said, pressing his lips against my head.

"Mhhmm." I murmured in content, closing my eyes. I knew we were outside when I felt the cool rush of air against my face.

He chuckled again, then laid me down in the passenger seat of his rented Volvo, buckling me in.

"How'd you know that I needed to be saved?" I yawned.

"Rosalie." He said. "Sleep love. I know that Alice woke you up early today."

"You have no idea." I muttered, closing my eyes. I was so tired…

-:-

"BELLA! BELLA! UP UP UP! OR I'LL SIC EMMETT ON YOU!"

I groaned. My bed was bouncing up and down, Alice's eager face above mine.

I threw my pillow at her. "Go away Alice!" I yelled.

"IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY! THE DAY OF ROMANCE AND LOVE! LOVE IS IN THE AIR!" she squealed, totally unfazed.

I moaned, pulling my other pillow over my head.

"Go. Away." I spat out as coherently as possible with my head underneath a pillow.

"Bella! You're such a kill joy!" she whined. I peeked out from under my pillow to look at the clock.

5:30 AM. As in, in the morning. Before the sun was up. Before any sane person was up. And she had kept me up to 3 in the morning talking with her. 3 AM. Two and half hours of sleep.

Anger filled every fiber of my being. Just because she didn't need to sleep didn't mean that others didn't need to.

"ALICE! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" I screamed at her. I was tired. I was sore. I grouchy. I wanted sleep. She was in my way of sleep. She was my enemy. Must. Dispose. Of enemy. Were the only words my brain could form.

She looked shocked by my outburst. But my brain could only repeat "must dispose of enemy."

"Alice, I'm tired. Sore. Grumpy. Want sleep. Leave. Now." she stared at me, still shocked. "NOW!" I screamed before falling back into my pillows. Well, pillow since I had thrown the other one at her. I was out like a rock.

"I can't believe she said that to me!" an Alice-like voice said in my dreams. Why was she in my dream?

"Alice, you woke her up at 5:30 in the morning after making her stay up until 3 in the morning. You know, you should show more appreciation for her. She really puts up with you." I heard Edward's voice in the background. I smiled. He was always in my dreams.

"What's the supposed to mean?" she snapped back.

"It means that she's always giving in to your persuasion without too much complaint about your Bella Barbie makeovers, your mall trips, your crazy ideas, your girl talk sessions, your crazy wake up calls. I'm surprised she's kept her sanity. And that she's just bursting now." Emmett's voice. Why was he in my dream?

"No she doesn't. She hates most of those. And she always whines, even though they're awesome ideas. And she doesn't put up with my wakeup calls. Didn't you hear what she just said to me!" she sounded on the verge of tears.

I didn't mean for her to cry! Unless this was just a dream...

"Alice honey, she was just a little tired. You woke her up at 7 yesterday. Kept her up at 3 last night. Well, morning. Then tried waking her up at 5:30 today. She's human. She needs sleep." Jasper's voice. Why were they all in my dreams? I just wanted Edward!

"I did give her sleep! Two whole hours!" Alice complained.

"Alice, teenagers need about 10 hours. And this isn't the first time. For the past two months, you've been waking her up around 6 or 8 and making her stay up with you until… 2 or 3. She's going crazy. She's tired and needs sleep. But she loves you. That's why she puts up with you." Emmett explained, laughing.

Couldn't they take this conversation someplace else? Where I wasn't sleeping? Or at least shut up? This was my dream, right? Couldn't I take control of them?

_They are all going to walk out of your room and be quiet, except for Edward._ I mentally chanted. Now do it!

No such luck. I still heard them talking. Convince Alice that I needed a break. I groaned an peeked an eye open.

Yup. All the Cullen children surrounded around my bed. Well, on it. I looked at the clock. 6:00 AM.

Anger surged through me again. I tried to keep my voice even. "What are you guys doing in here? Talking? Well if you're talking, do it somewhere else! OUT! NOW!"

They winced at my loud voice. "Aw come on Bella. You know you love being woken up by us." Emmett said.

"Emmett. I've been getting about 5 hours of sleep average for the past 8 weeks. 8 weeks! And now my feet hurt. My arms hurt. And I want sleep. NOW OUT!" I shouted.

He looked shocked. Why was everyone so shocked?

"You're normally a very calm, controlled person Bella. You seemed confused." He explained at the end.

Then Emmett smirked. Not good. Not good at all. "Hey Bella, whatcha going to do if we don't leave? Hit us with a pickle?" he asked before bursting into a fit of laugher.

Did I say something in my sleep? Crap. But I was too tired to care too much.

"Yes Emmett, I'd hit you with a pickle and wipe pickle juice through your hair. Now, GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

Carlisle and Esme burst into my room then. "Is everything okay? We come back from hunting to screaming." Carlisle explained, looking around.

"No, it is not alright Carlisle. Kindly tell your children to get out of my room and let me sleep! Five hours! Five more hours! That's all I'm asking!" I was crying now. I didn't know what was wrong with me. "Oh god, why am I crying? I'm going crazy! I'm crazy now!" I wailed. What was wrong with me?!

"Bella, nothing's wrong. You're just overly tired. Alice- I mean, everyone, has been waking you up way to early and your body is being over worked. Have you been having mood swing lately?" he questioned. I tried to quell the irritation. I wanted to sleep!

"Yes, yesterday in the mall, she was practically crying too." Edward answered for me.

"Bella, you need to rest. This isn't healthy for your body. Okay, children, Bella will now have at least 8 hours of sleep a day. No waking her up any earlier or you'll have to deal with me." he said full of authority. I sighed in relief, collapsing into my pillows.

"Now, everyone out of her room. Shoo shoo." He said. I smiled. I never appreciated my father more than now.

I felt Edward get up. I grabbed his shirt in my hand. "Where do you think you're goin mister?" I slurred out, using my last store of energy to ask. I was thoroughly exhausted and past my breaking point.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

"What kind of stupid question is that?"

I felt him lay down on the bed, his body pressing against mine. "Sleep Bella." He said, kissing my temple. "Sleep, my love."

-:-

I was stunned. Absolutely and completely stunned. It was amazing. I turned to Edward, my eyes shining. Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Do you like it Bella?" he asked softly.

"I love it Edward. And I love you." I said into the night air, pressing my lips to his. This was the best Valentine's Day ever.

He had brought me to some ruins from Athens and set up a dinner there for me, the candles flickering in the wind. The cool marble beneath it shined, as if recently buffed and the columns vines of roses wrapped around them. Even though there was no ceiling and parts of it was falling apart- they _were_ ruins from an ancient civilization, thousands of years old- it was perfect.

Absolutely perfect. Even though my morning had been far from it. Emmett had decided to stick his dirty foot in my face to wake me up. He had obviously forgotten about our bet that we made when we were just leaving Paris. He had such a tiny memory…

I was snapped back to the present by Edward's breath on my neck. "I'm glad you like it Bella." He said, his eyes smoldering. He pressed his lips to mine, and when we pulled apart, he whispered, "Happy Valentine's Day love." Before kissing me again. I smiled against his lips. Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't _that _bad.

**Aww so sweet! **

****

What should Bella's vampire power be? I've PMed some people, and here's the choices:

1- Bella can cause vampires to feel human and do human things, like sleep and make pretty babies-had to add that for Rosalie (credited to SparklingTopazEyes)

2- Bella can control love. People are always like, 'you can't control love' but it'd be pretty cool if she could (my idea)

3- Telepathy- Edward's power (credited to oceanlover14)

4- Healing Powers- can heal people with cancer/ sickness (credited to HorsecrazyJr.)

And I've added a choice 5: the book power because some people wanted that one.

haha so I got Telepathy confused with telekinesis. Sorry!

And here's the stats so far:

#1: 15

#2: 10

#3: 18

#4: 23

#5: 3

So if you want one to win, than vote!! And she will only have 1 power!

And please review!!


	44. It Was All Fun and Games

**Okay, so I'm not much for cursing. But holy shit! 60 reviews!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!**

**So, thanks to all my reviewers: Mimi-Love-4ever, xoxoTayTayxoxo, CassieGrad07, JasperLover1997, edward-perfers-brunettes95, Looking-at-the-stars Kaguma, His. Butter. Scotch. Gold. Eyes., SakuraMoonAngel, jnut, Screams-At-Midnight, twilightfan1313, agentxx, luffin edward-bella 4eva, NattiZ, June-Avatar11, laced-with-fire, vampireadtic, LissaRae787, andrewTHATSME, Zanessaluver94, beccarina, FRK921, twiharder8, edward-n-bella-fr-eternity1207, VeggieVampRaven107, 1010011010, gracethegal, bliitz4everbellaxedward, xX9SoftballChick9Xx, Link's Ocarina Babe, katwozere, Myela Marea, Alasiel, Victoria Weasley, Disney Princess3, redwinggurl, sherrie cherries, DontMakeThemLikeEdwardAnymore, Ketia, blue-blood123, rockin' cullen, twilighter313, Stargirlrox-hearts-Avatar, FutureMizCullen67, Lil Miss Rosalie, Foam Weber, HorsecrazyJr., kesheyyyy7, dualib0b, Acorn9881, blue eyed pixie, SparklingTopazEyes**

_I was snapped back to the present by Edward's breath on my neck. "I'm glad you like it Bella." He said, his eyes smoldering. He pressed his lips to mine, and when we pulled apart, he whispered, "Happy Valentine's Day love." Before kissing me again. I smiled against his lips. Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't that bad._

**Chapter 44: It Was All Fun and Games**

I hated Alice right now. I hated her with a passion. Whose idiotic idea was it anyways? Oh wait, I knew. Alice. And whose idea was it to come here? Alice.

I was currently standing outside a large tent, my arms crossed across my chest over the five jackets I was wearing. My teeth were chattering against the wind as my hair whipped across my face.

The only positive thing was that I had gotten my cast off. 2 months early too! It was a quick heal as Carlisle put it, but I should be careful just in case. And if I felt any pain, then I was to tell someone right away.

"Al-lice! C-can we g-go in-inside n-now?" I asked her.

"Hold on Bella! I just need this last picture! I only have 13 minutes until the sun goes down completely and I need to take pictures of your first day in Antarctica!" she squealed.

I was about to say something about that fact that when there wasn't sun, there wasn't heat, and me being human, needed heat, but she 'saw' that I was going to say that so answered it.

"Silly Bella! Of course I know that! You're not going to freeze! Edward wouldn't allow it! And, of course, it's only going to be 12 minutes and 15 seconds! Hold still and smile!" she said quickly. I sighed and wrapped my arms tighter around me.

Some days I really loved Alice and was glad that she was my sister. Today was not one of those days.

-:-

"Bella love, time to wake up." Edward's soft voice said into my ear, then I felt his lips kissing my neck and slowly advancing towards my mouth.

I smiled. Edward was the only one that I allowed to wake me up. And of course Esme. Btu I always loved it when Edward would wake me up. It was always the same every day, but I loved it every day. It was actually better than sleeping.

"Mhhmmm.." I moaned. It felt so good to have his soft lips against mine.

My eyes opened and I was looking into a pair of golden eyes, conveying the love that he felt towards me.

"You know, I love waking up to that every morning." I murmured. And I did. It was absolutely amazing.

"And I love waking you up like that every morning love." He responded. I smiled. He had to be the sweetest boyfriend ever.

And then I just laid there, nestled in his arms, perfectly content.

EPOV

I watched Bella sleep, cuddled up in her blankets against the cold. I looked at my cell phone. 12:31. She had had 12 hours of sleep. That was more than enough, right? I ached to see her chocolate brown orbs.

"Bella love, time to wake up." I said, kissing from her neck, slowly moving towards her lips.

She smiled. If my heart could beat, I knew it would stop every time she looked at me, every time she smiled, every time she kissed me, every time she said 'I love you.' I didn't deserve such a beautiful angel.

"Mhhmmm.." she moaned against my lips. I smiled.

Her eyes snapped open and I looked into her dark brown eyes that I loved so much. I loved her so much.

"You know, I love waking up to that every morning." She murmured.

"And I love waking you up like that every morning love." I responded. She smiled.

And then I knew what I wanted. I wanted to marry her. My beautiful, kind, caring, sweet, intelligent girlfriend. I wanted to make her my wife. No, I _needed_ to make her my wife.

-:-

BPOV

One week. Seven days. 168 hours. 10,008 seconds. Of pure torture. Alice still took the liberty to dress me every day, but by now I was used to it. I almost didn't mind it. Almost.

I was still stuck in this damned place of white. And cold. And ice. And snow. Ew.

But if I was with Edward… then I was a whole new person.

APOV

Bella was such a grouch when she was around, unless Edward was around too. Then she was carefree, excited, happy, _young_. And of course, so human.

I watched them as Edward chased her around outside the tent. She was wearing only a pair of sweats, a tank top, and a sweatshirt. She would always insist wearing so many more layers than that whenever she went out. But not now.

Edward had woken up in his usual manner, but then he started tickling her. She had jumped up out of bed and outside. But she didn't even mind the cold.

I watched as he tackled her to the ground, as she squealed. I smiled sadly. I'm going to miss you Bella… I thought sadly. There was no way we could save her. Not after today.

EPOV

I tackled Bella to the ground, gently of course. She squealed beneath me and I laughed.

Then I heard Alice's thoughts. . _I'm going to miss you Bella_ she thought_. There was no way we could save her. Not after today._

My head snapped up and my eyes met her. All I saw was sadness. And regret.

I felt my whole body stiffened. Bella noticed this and frowned. But I barely saw this. I was still looking at Alice. What did she mean _There was no way we could save her? _What was going to happen that we couldn't stop?

I jumped up and helped Bella up, throwing her onto my back. Human speed wouldn't be fast enough.

"Bella, why don't you go inside and change?" I asked in a tight voice.

She nodded, confused, but left anyway.

"Alice, what do you mean, "There's no way we can save her. Not after today?" What are you talking about?" I hissed in a low, menacing voice. We could stop whatever was going to hurt Bella.

She just looked at me, her thoughts empty and blank.

I resisted the urge to shake her. I couldn't do that to my sister.

"Alice!" I hissed again.

"Edward. I've looked at all the possible outcomes. And she doesn't come out alive in any of them. Unless you change her now. But no one here will be able to change her tonight because of the blood we've been living off of. The animals in Antarctica aren't the same. Aren't as filling. No one, not even Carlisle, will have the control to save her." she said in a monotone.

"Alice, what are you talking about?"

"Bella. Her heart's going to stop at 2: 07 this evening and there's no way we can restart it, not without any of the right equipment. There's no way we're going to be able to save her. Unless, of course, you freeze it. But that's impossible too. I looked at that. And I see a blue Bella. I can't look further than that. I just can't look at a dead Bella." She sobbed quietly.

I was frozen and in shock. By now, everyone else was around us- except Bella of course- and were frozen too.

Esme and Rosalie were sobbing. They had already given up hope!

"No! No! I won't believe it Alice!" I yelled. Bella could not die tonight!

"We'll run her back across the ocean. Call a helicopter! I'm sure we could go hunting before someone was to bite her." I pleaded. She couldn't die. I couldn't live without her. I wouldn't.

"Alice, I want to marry. I need to marry her." I whispered after she said nothing, my shoulders sagging in defeat. And she was right. There was no way we could get her across the ocean in time. Even we weren't that fast. And a helicopter wouldn't be able to get here and back in time.

"Okay I'm ready!" Bella's chipper voice came from the tent. We all looked at her.

"So, what's with the dampened mood?"

"Nothing." We said quickly.

"Are you keeping something from me? You know you can tell me, right?" she said, her eyes narrowed.

_No we can't Bella._ I thought sadly to myself. "Don't worry Bella. It's a… surprise." I whispered the last word. No wonder Bella hated surprises. The last surprise of her life would be the one that ended it.

"Edward, you know I hate surprises."

I remained silent. _So do I Bella, so do I._

"Okay, so you're not going to tell me? Fine, be that way." She grinned, showing she was only teasing. My heart ached by the fact that that was going to be one of the last grins that I'd ever be able to witness. She turned her attention to Emmett. "But I want that rematch Emmett! You cheated yesterday!" she said, still totally oblivious to her fate that awaited her in a mere 2 and half hours.

Emmett gave her a half smile. "Sure little sis." He said weakly.

She looked at him funnily. "Are you okay Emmett? You sound a little… sick. We can always do it tomorrow if you want."

_You won't be here tomorrow._ My heart ached even thinking that. "No, we'll do it now Bells." His voice came out strangled.

She looked at him funnily again. "You sure you're okay? Can vampires even get sick?"

"Jeez Bella, you worry too much." He said with a little more of his usual Emmett vigor.

"Okay, if you're sure!" she said. She held a snowball discreetly behind her back.

"Heads up!" she said as he looked down. His head snapped up before she pelted a snowball l in his face.

Then she ran.

-:-

I watched as Emmett let her win, as she rolled around in the snow. As she made a snow angel. Made a snowman. As she kissed me for what would surely be one of the last times. It was already 2. 7 more minutes.

I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. No, to curl up in a ball and die, right as Bella's soul ascended to heaven. Maybe we'd be able to embrace one last time before I made my way down to Satan's inner circle.

"Edward!" she screamed as she ran from inside the tent. "Can we pretty pretty please go ice skating?" she fluttered her eyelashes.

I smiled weakly at her. What Bella wants, Bella gets. Especially today. "Sure."

She quickly strapped on her skates before attempting to walk over to the 'lake' that was about half a mile away.

"Damn, I should have walked over there, then put on the skates." She said.

"I'll carry you there love."

One of the last times I'd be able to touch her, feel her warm skin against mine.

"Thanks Edward."

I quickly picked her up and dashed over to the makeshift rink. I gently set her down where she wobbled a little before regaining her balance.

"You know, I've gotten a lot better at ice skating ever since you gave me lessons the second day we got here." She said, skating around in circles on the ice. I was too absorbed in her voice, drinking it in before I'd never hear it again.

BPOV

"So, thanks Edward. I was thinking, what would you say to going to Japan then Chile?" I asked. Everyone was a little weird today. I was planning on asking him that soon. I noticed all the Cullens watching me near the tent.

"That sounds good love." He forced a smile.

"Edward, is everything alright?"

"Yes love. Hold on, I'll be right back, okay?"

I nodded. What on Earth was wrong with them? I watched as he walked up to the rest of the family and talked to them.

I decided that they must be tired of Antarctica already. Well, I wasn't going to let that ruin my fun!

I was going to make the most of my last moments in Antarctica.

I skated in circles and even did a little leap that Edward had taught me the previous day. Hmm… maybe I'd be able to perfect by the end of today. That would be pretty cool.

I looked up to see them all smilingly sadly. Something was definitely off. Then I heard something crack beneath my skate. I didn't even have time to look down before I was dragged under. Oops was an understatement. Edward had warned me not to go towards the middle because it was thin.

And I guess I lost track of where I was. I must have been in the middle. I felt my heart stop and was surprised when I didn't feel it restart like it normally would.

I felt the cold soak in through my clothes, through my skin and to my very bones, to my very being. I felt the layers of clothes and the metal of the skates pull me down even farther. My eyes closed on their own accord. I tried reaching out for help, but my hands grasped nothing.

**So yeah, depressing. But I was in desperate need of some drama.... **

**And, concerning Bella's power, I came up with an (in my opinion) amazing idea! **

**A lot of people wanted Bella to be able to make people feel human because they wanted her to fall asleep in Edward's arms again. And, they felt that Rosalie deserved a baby. Also, very original/ never been done before. Some wanted her to be able to control love for humorous purposes. Others wanted her to be able to do telekinesis/ telepathy to be like Edward. And then, most wanted her to have healing powers. Some wanted her to have the same power as in the book. And then some wanted Edward to be able to read her mind. Others, not so much. **

**So, my idea mixes them. Which A LOT of people wanted- multiple powers. However, it's really just two, because she already has the shield. And, the best part: I'm not going to tell you yet. Wait and... well, read! **

**And please review! **

**And preview (Oh wow, the rhymes!): Chapter 45: Let Go**

****

_Then I heard it. A fluttering beat, straining to come alive. It was like a flicker of a candle. All I had to do was coax it gently so it could burst into a full flame. _

And that chapter really continues on in Chapter 48, which you'll see later.

AND PLEASE REVIEW! Greatly appreciated!


	45. Let Go

**Thank you very much to my reviewers! 51 reviews! **

**And for those of you who asked questions, I answered most of them in a reply but there was one that I didn't give the complete answer to because I didn't want to spoil it. **

****

1) If Bella's heart was going to stop then, and she saw it earlier in the day, then wouldn't she have seen it long before that day?

Alice wasn't really looking into the future because she was enjoying her break with Bella. And I guess it would be kind of last minute-ish that her cancer decided to pop in and kill her. Also, you'll read it in about 10 seconds.

2)The Cullens can do anything, they are afterall THE CULLENS. So what's stopping them from changing her? a lack of blood?

The Cullens couldn't change her because they were afraid they'd lose control. the blood from the animals there isn't as strong because they don't have the same nutrients (well, pretend they don't) so they would probably end up killing her. And they weren't really prepared to change her then and there. They were barely prepared to change her when they did, which you'll see in Chapter 49.

3) How can her heart re-start if Alice didn't see that happening? It's not like a heart can make a split second decision.

And Alice didn't see her heart restarting because once she saw the 'blue Bella' she didn't want to look any further into the future. Also, I liked the drama and the future can always change. And Bella almost _wanted_ to die so she could see her father again, the person who changed her mind.

_I felt the cold soak in through my clothes, through my skin and to my very bones, to my very being. I felt the layers of clothes and the metal of the skates pull me down even farther. My eyes closed on their own accord. I tried reaching out for help, but my hands grasped nothing._

**Chapter 45: Let Go**

EPOV

I watched Bella skate with not a care in the world. I couldn't bear it. It was 2:06. I felt like my world was crashing down. I couldn't believe I had given up hope so soon earlier. Now it was too late. It was over.

I closed my eyes for brief moment, savoring the feeling of Bella's existence on the earth, before a huge whole would soon take over that pleasant feeling's spot.

"Edward!" I heard a voice scream. My brows furrowed. I was savoring the moment Alice! Go away!

"Edward! She's drowning!"

My eyes snapped open and widened when I saw the huge hole in the ice, Bella nowhere to be seen. The rest of my family was already rushing down to the hole, but I was faster.

I looked down to see a swirling mass of bubbles. I dived in after Bella, the last thing I saw was a russet colored wolf in my peripheral vision, which I didn't pay attention. All I could concentrate one was Bella. My Bella.

My eyes were searching for Bella, my muscles feeling the vibrations from the water. I saw nothing. I felt nothing. Where was she? Panic overtook me. I would not give up. It was good thing I didn't need to breathe.

BPOV

I felt the darkness surround me, my hands stop moving, my heart never picking up its beat again. My lungs burned from lack of oxygen. A picture of Edward flashed through my mind. A faint smile crossed my lips. He was the last person I wanted to see before I died

The doctor told me I was going to die at the age of 16. I found a way to escape it. At least, I thought I had. But I should have known. There's no escaping death.

I could almost feel the life leaving my body as Death slowly sucked it out, smiling maliciously.

APOV

I sobbed into Jasper's shoulder. Bella couldn't die! She just couldn't! But I knew there was no way I could stop it. What good was it being a physic if you couldn't stop the future? If you couldn't _see_ it?

I hadn't seen her falling into the ice, being too absorbed in watching her last moments.

Edward still hadn't come up. He had been under for 2 minutes and 34 seconds.

For once, I didn't look into the future. I didn't want to.

EPOV

I continued searching, my panic increasing with every second. Then I saw it. A cloud of brown hair. I sped towards it, but seeing Bella's ,eyes closed, a faint smile on her lips, heart stopped, I knew she knew that death was coming for her.

I held back a grimace and dragged her up. I wasn't going to allow that.

I was at the surface within seconds, hauling her lifeless body up before I got out.

Immediately, I started pumping her chest and breathing into her mouth, unwilling to accept the fact that she was dead.

The whole family watched me in what must have been pity. They all saw her. Her blue cheeks and mouth, her lack of a heartbeat.

But I couldn't image my life without her. I refused to. This couldn't be happening to me. This must be a dream. Bella didn't leave me. She wouldn't.

"Bella, don't leave me. Please. Please, don't leave. Don't leave me." I sobbed over her body, lowering my head onto her chest.

I didn't want to be forced to change her. I knew I wouldn't be able to control my blood lust.

Then I heard it. A fluttering beat, straining to come alive. It was like a flicker of a candle. All I had to do was coax it gently before it burst into a full flame.

BPOV

I opened my eyes. I was in Antarctica, I could tell by the bare white tundra in front of me. But none of the Cullens were there.

Instead, there was my father. His crinkly, blue eyes. His brown hair, a shade darker than mine.

I didn't take the time to realize that that must mean that I was dead.

"Dad!" I shouted, throwing my arms around him.

He smiled, returning the hug. "Bells. I've missed you." he said. His voice hadn't changed either.

"Dad… I've missed you so so _so _much. Life's just not the same without you." I tried not to choke on my tears.

"Shh Bella. I've been with you for every step of your life. My death is not your fault. Don't ever blame yourself! Which I know you do." He said into my ear.

"Bella, I'm so so proud of you. Of how strong you've become. You're a new person Bella. A new, happier person. You've changed. You're having fun. And I approve of Edward. He's perfect for you. I'm glad you've found love. You deserve it." He continued.

He seemed a bit rushed. Didn't we have all of eternity together?

"I'm proud of everything you've done, never forget that." He said urgently.

"Dad, what's the rush?"

"Bella, you don't belong here! You need to be down there, alive. Breathing and well."

I looked down to see Edward dragging my lifeless body out of the lake.

"Edward." I whispered. I didn't want to leave him. But I didn't want to leave my father either.

"Bella, go back down there. I know you can. I love you." he said, pulling back from our embrace.

"Dad! I don't want to go. I've missed you so much daddy! It's so so hard to live without you. Everyday I remember you. Some days, it's so hard to get up, knowing I would never see you again. Edward and well, all of the Cullens have really helped. But you're the one who can make me really smile, dad. And I don't want to leave you again. Every night, I dream of you dad. And every night, you leave me. I don't know how much longer I can take it dad!"

"Bella, stop that right now! Edward makes you smile that same goofy grin. And I heard you cry in your sleep. But now Edward's there to help you, to hold you as you pull yourself back together. But you need to move on. I know you didn't cry at my funeral. Not because you weren't sad, but because you didn't want to let me go. You need to let go. Really let go. Not just a few tears Bella. You need to let go. The harder you try to pull yourself together, the farther you fall apart.

I know you've tried letting go before, and I know it hurts. But you decided you needed to be stronger than that and stopped your tears. And no one was there to put you back together. You tried. But now you have Edward. And he's done a fine damn job putting you back together. And now Edward's going to be there to pick up the pieces this time Bella. You need to let go." he said.

I cried against his shirt. "Dad, I don't want to forget you!"

"Who said you'd forget? I know you'll always remember me Bella. But you need to… accept that I'm gone. But also know that I'll always love you and that _I'll _never forget you. Never forget that. Now go Bella, before it's too late."

I looked down to see Edward sobbing tearless cries over my lifeless body. I gave my father one last hug before drifting downward, as if on an invisible staircase.

"I love you father."

And then I walked into my body. The first thing I felt was the heavy weight on my chest. Not Edward, but the heavy feeling when your lungs gasp for oxygen. And then I felt my heart fight to beat. I only hoped to God that it won.

CPOV

I watched my daughter descent the staircase and wiped away my tears. I missed her so much. I wanted to be in every moment of her life, but I knew I couldn't. Stupid drunk driver.

But my most dominate feeling was that of pride. I was so proud of my daughter, for how strong she was. For the woman she had grown to be.

But I knew that she was weighted down everyday, even though she tried not show it. She was weighted down by every dream, every dream she had of me. And in every dream I had left her. Because I had died.

And now she just needed to accept it. But I was so proud of her. For being strong and hanging on. And now I was going to be proud of her for letting go.

EPOV

I did compressions against her chest again, her heartbeat stronger with each press. Then suddenly it took flight and thumped loudly. I sighed in relief. Maybe the cold water preserved her heart when it stopped and allowed it to… stay alive?

I had numerous medical degrees, but even I knew it was a miracle. But that was all in the back of my mind.

My Bella was alive.

**Okay, next chapter is fluffy! So thanks for bearing with me and my awful two chapters of crappy drama because I wanted to. So I made Chapter 49 almost 3,000 words, longest chapter yet. **

**Oh and in the next chapter is another little bet between Jasper and Bella! **

**So preview: Chapter 46- Australia, Egypt and England**

****

_Right now you're busy cleaning up the mess you made. So, I'd like to get my payback while you hurry and freak out over the Jeep that supposedly hit a tree. Which it didn't. I tried making up my lie to you by decorating your engine. It's so ugly! _

_But how was I supposed to know that pouring pink nail polish on it would totally destroy it? I asked Rose what nail polish does to an engine and she said that it would allow it to work at first but the longer you used the car, the hotter the engine gets. But then the nail polish melts and gets sticky and clogs up your gears or whatever. So I'm sorry, I was just trying to help! Mostly… Happy April Fools! Well, this isn't a joke. This is a little something called __payback._

So, who do think this was written to? By which family members?

Anyway, please REVIEW!!


	46. Australia, Egypt, and England

**Thanks so much to all my reviewers! Sorry for the late update, I've just been really busy and I have a huge test tomorrow!**

I had numerous medical degrees, but even I knew it was a miracle. But that was all in the back of my mind.

My Bella was alive.

**Chapter 46: Australia, Egypt and Englan**d

BPOV

My eyes fluttered open. Where was I?

I was wrapped in thick blankets. My throat felt scratchy and sore. Water. I needed water.

"Bella?" Edward's soft voice asked.

I attempted a smile. I remembered everything. And I didn't want to.

"Can I have a glass of water?" I asked, my voice rough.

"Of course Bella." Edward replied. His voice seemed so sad, relieved, and angry. How a man could convey all those emotions in three words was beyond me; but they were there.

He handed me a cup filled with water, which I gratefully chugged. Nearly drowning really takes a toll on you.

"Edward, had Alice seen what was going to happen?" _that _question had been bothering me. If she had seen I was going to fall into the lake, then why didn't they stop me? Did they not want me anymore?

"Bella, she saw that your heart was going to stop. And there was no way we could… stop that from happening, no way to save you. I was devastated when I heard. I can't lose you Bella." He said. If he could cry, he would be.

"Edward, you haven't lost me. And- and you never will."

Saying it like that made it… that much more official. I had accepted my fate that I would become a vampire. But now it was so much more real.

"I know Bella. I love you." he said, hugging me fiercely.

-:-

"Emmett! Leave the kangaroo alone!" Edward yelled, exasperated. I giggled.

We were in Australia and Emmett had taken it upon himself to try kangaroo. I truthfully found it hilarious and didn't mind. Every time he got close enough to the kangaroo, he's be kicked, which of course didn't harm him at all, but he'd still complain.

He never actually 'drank' from them, so I was safe. But his family found it very immature. Especially Rosalie.

"Emmett Cullen! You stop that this instant!" Rosalie screamed at him.

Alice and I burst into another fit of hysterics. He never learned.

And I was glad to finally be laughing. At first, all the Cullens treated me like a porcelain doll. They were also on edge, looking around them for something that wasn't there. I saw them throwing glances into the shadows, but when I asked them, they said it was nothing.

I didn't believe them. But now I was just enjoying the moment, laughing at Emmett and his kangaroos.

-:-

"And these are the pyramids of Giza!" the tour guy exclaimed. Well, that's what Edward translated for me from the tour guy's rough accent.

The tour guy sounded, to me at least, like "An' dese' a ze pymis o' Gza!"

Maybe something was wrong with my hearing. Or something was wrong with the tour guy's accent. And English.

I looked up at the huge stone structure towering above me. It was amazing how long they lasted. Thousands of years.

I leaned my head against Edward's chest who pulled me against his body. He felt so nice in the hot, dry air.

"It's amazing Edward." I whispered.

He smiled into my hair. "I'm glad you like it love."

"Me too." I joked.

He laughed and kissed the top of my head. It left me tingling already.

I turned around in his arms to face him. He grinned and knew what I wanted. I knew he wanted it too.

He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. But I wanted _more_. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him in- well, he leaned in again; it's hard to pull a vampire- for another kiss.

_Snap!_ We turned to see Alice, holding her digital camera in her hands, smiling like a cat who just ate the canary.

"Oops, I guess I forgot the sound effects were on." She explained, still grinning.

I sighed and pulled away from Edward. She did that on purpose!

"Bella, stop pouting! You'll live." She chirped.

"Alice, Edward's kisses to me are like shopping to you. I'm addicted!"

She snorted. "If you're trying to imply that I'm addicted to shopping, then you're wro- Oh is that a store?!" and she ran off towards it.

Exactly my point. I sighed as we followed her.

-:-

Emmett POV

April First. My favorite day. Ever. The day I lived for. Well, I didn't technically live, so it would be… the day I died for?

But those fine details didn't actually matter.

Hmm… what to do this April Fools? I obviously couldn't trick Alice, I gave up on that years ago. Edward was hard to trick, but it's been done before.

"Only once!" Edward called from the kitchen.

I grinned. I had called Tanya and said that Edward really wanted to talk to her and that he had spent too long denying his feelings for her. But then Edward got really pissed. Firstly because Tanya ended up calling him, but also because it was a very cruel, mean thing to do. And that she really wasn't a bad person, she just had misguided intentions. Which was true.

But totally worth it to see his face when Tanya called back on his cell phone. He ended up changing his number after that…

So, this year, I had a new person to prank. Bella!

"EMMETT!" Edward's voice rang out again.

I ignored him and got back to my scheming.

-:-

"Emmett, you are such a dead man!" Edward seethed in my direction, the purple paint still dripping from his hair.

"Well technically Edward, I already am a dead _man_. But the more correct word would be 'vampire.'" I corrected him.

He growled.

He and my dear, sweet ol' brother who used to be trustworthy had me pinned up against the wall of the Ritz hotel suite we were staying in.

"Hey, it's April Fool's! All's fair in love and war. And you know I love you brothers dear. And sisters dear." I tried playing the 'innocent angel' card.

"Innocent angel? Are you kidding me? You replaced all my CDs with… porn noises!" he hissed. "And, you ruined my iTunes!"

"Oh yea, did you like it? Did you know that that's actually me and Rose? Pretty—Ow!"

My own wife, hitting me over the head? I thought I could trust her…

"You idiot! Those weren't for you give away! I hope you plan on keeping Little Emmy locked up for the next few months!" she snapped.

Damn. But it was totally worth it to hear Edward's words. Well, almost worth it. How many months was she thinking…

"Emmett, you threw paint at Bella, Rosalie, and I! Now, it's dripping from our hair. And you know your wife. How many months do you think it'll be?" Edward asked, his eyes black with fury.

"Um, none?"

Rose snorted. "Try 6. At least! But if you're a good boy, maybe I'll put him on probation."

I sighed. Damn.

I really wasn't that bad of a boy this April Fool's. I had only screwed with Eddie's CDs and iTunes, replaced Alice's shoes with clown shoes, decorated Jasper's room in the suite with Union flags, and replaced Bella's book collection with my type of books.

"So, Emmett, I was thinking. You did a good job with April Fool's this year. Now you can pay us back. So, return all of Edward's CDs, correct his iTunes, give Alice back her shoes- some of which were mine-, take down all of the Union flags, and give me back my books!" Bella said, leveling up with me.

"No thanks. But thanks for the offer."

"It wasn't an offer Emmett. It was a command." Bella said, glaring at me.

I was not about to be intimidated by a human. I was not. I was not.

Crap she was scary!

"I'm going I'm going." I said, slouching out of the room as Edward and Jasper let go of me. I knew they would be howling with laughter if they weren't so pissed.

"Oh, and Emmett? Next time you want to mess with me, I'd be more considerate of my Jeep. I'm surprised you drove it into a tree. So very unlike you." Bella said before drifting out of the room, laughing.

My jaw dropped. What did she do to my Jeep? Wouldn't I have heard it? Wasn't that a bit harsh?

I was about to run to the window to see how bad the damage was; Rosalie could surely fix it, right?

But Edward and Jasper caught a hold of my arms.

"Not yet. Fix everything. Now." Edward commanded. I narrowed my eyes at him. I would not give in to him! I would not!

I sighed in defeat. "Fine." I grumbled and headed towards their rooms to fix their stuff.

-:-

I drove around with the windows down, laughing. It felt so good to ride in my Jeep. Bella was just joking about driving it into a tree. That was a relief.

I turned right onto the highway, speeding at 120 mph. Candy Shop by 50 cent played on the radio.

_I'll take you to the candy shop__  
__I'll let you lick the lollipop__  
__Go 'head girl, don't you stop__  
__Keep going 'til you hit the spot_

I sang along with the radio, bobbing my head up and down.

And then I felt the car slow down. What the hell? The person behind me honked so I gave them the finger. My car was more important.

I sighed when I realized that no matter how hard I pressed onto the peddle- without killing my car – that it wouldn't go any faster. Damn it!

I rolled onto the side of the highway and jumped out to check the hood. Smoke was coming out of it. I popped it open and then growled. _Bella! _

She even had the nerve to leave a note.

_Dear Emmett, _

_Right now you're busy cleaning up the mess you made. So, I'd like to get my payback while you hurry and freak out over Jeep that supposedly hit a tree. Which it didn't. I tried making up my lie to you by decorating your engine. It's so ugly! _

_But how was I supposed to know that pouring pink nail polish on it would totally destroy it? I asked Rose what nail polish does to an engine and she said that it would allow it to work at first but the longer you used the car, the hotter the engine gets. But then the nail polish melts and gets sticky and clogs up your gears or whatever. So I'm sorry, I was just trying to help! Mostly… Happy April Fools! Well, this isn't a joke. This is a little something called __**payback.**_

_Love, _

_Bella, Rosalie, Alice, Edward, and Jasper. _

Damn it! I bet Bella started all of it too!

I looked closer into my engine and sure enough I saw little pink specks. Great. At least Rose could fix it. But now I was going to have to leave my precious Jeep on the side of the highway as I ran back. Or… I could lift it onto my shoulders and run through the forest….

Maybe too inconspicuous? Then again, who cares? Well, besides Carlisle…

So I took the Jeep on my shoulders and ran with it.

-:-

BPOV

I watched as Edward, Jasper and Emmett played the Nintendo that was in the hotel we were staying in. In England. London, England to be exact. It was April 3rd, my day of 'death' approaching fast. This would be my last week traveling with the Cullens.

"Come on guys! We want to go out! I want to see the Tower of London!" Rosalie whined. She sure could be very…. Sadistic.

"I want to go shopping! And I can't because we only imported the Volvo, Jeep, and Mercedes! And mom and dad are out! And I know you have the keys in your pockets! Let's go!" Alice whined. She wouldn't listen when I said 'take a taxi.'

"Edward, England is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Can we go out?" I asked.

Emmett answered for him. "Bella, there'll be plenty of chances to go to England. Must-kill-alien."

I sighed. Boys would be boys.

"Come on, we'll even play you. Whoever wins gets to pick what we do for the day." I offered.

"Nope, sorry Bella. But Alice and Rose are vampires with super reflexes. We could beat you easily so us guys would win." Jasper said, his eyes focused on the TV.

"Excuse me Jasper?" I screeched. What made him think that he could win? Just because he was a super strong, fast vampire with super reflexes….

"Just saying Bella, no offense." He responded.

I narrowed my eyes. "Okay Jasper, you and me. Whoever wins gets to decide what to do for the rest of the week in England."

By now Edward and Emmett had already dropped their controllers after pausing the game to watch the showdown between Jasper and I.

He considered it for a moment before nodding his head slowly.

"You've got yourself a deal Bella." He drawled.

**So a bet between Jasper and Bella! And most everyone got the letter to and from correct! **

**And please don't forget to review!**


	47. Out and About

**Sorry for the long wait guys! I've just been, and am, really really busy with school stuff so I haven't had time to write a chapter. But that's okay, I'll post this one anyway and hopefully catch up. (I write 3-4 chapters ahead so I can use them in case of an emergency *cough cough* now when I don't have time to write another. Write one, post one.)**

**And thanks for the reviews too! **

He considered it for a moment before nodding his head slowly.

"You've got yourself a deal Bella." He drawled.

**Chapter 47: Out and About**

BPOV

"Aww come on mom! We were almost done!" Jasper whined. I was thankful that she had pulled the plug on the TV. I was getting my… hinny kicked.

"No no no! That's all you children do! Go out and see the world!" Esme exclaimed.

"Esme, that's what I'm trying to get them to do. You see, if I won, then us girls get to pick what to do for the next week and if Jasper won, then _they_ got to pick what to do." I explained. I really wasn't one for video games.

"Well, now there is no choice. Out!" Esme said, literally kicking us out of the hotel room.

Surprisingly, Edward, Alice and Jasper jumped up really quickly and shot out towards the door. Sure, now they move.

But Emmett was being stubborn.

"Mom, I wanted to watch Bella get her a—"

"Language!"

"kicked by Jazz."

"Emmett, out." She said in a restrained tone. Was she just having a bad day?

I decided that she probably needed alone time. I grabbed my jacket and purse, taking a hold of Emmett's huge arm as I attempted to drag him out of the room. I guess he eventually gave up against Esme and decided to go along with it.

When we finally were outside the hotel and the limo door shut- there were so many of us- Jasper and Edward let out sighs of relief.

"What?" I asked, curious, as I clung to Edward. I missed him.

"Oh , let's just say that Esme and Carlisle's plans aren't G rated." He said, grimacing.

Ah that explained it. The lust. The short sentences. The wanting us out. Room to themselves. Ugh.

"Am I going to have to change the sheets on my bed?"

-:-

"Hmm… name one thing that you want to do that you haven't been able to yet." Edward said.

We were all sitting in a café after having just seen the Tower of London. We really weren't ready to go back to the hotel room yet. So we were just asking any question and the person had to answer it truthfully. Kind of like the game _Truth_.

"Um… I did the scuba diving I wanted in Australia… I saw the Pyramids of Giza… Oh I know! I've always wanted a piggy back ride through the house. My dad would do it at that park but never in the house. Don't know why…" I said.

"Really Bella? Know what, I'll take you on one when we get inside the hotel." Emmett said.

Bella smiled sadly, the memory of her father still etched in her brain. "Thanks Emmy bear."

"Emmy bear?" Jasper asked, chortling.

"Yes, Emmy bear! It's my nickname. Deal with it!" Emmett defended himself.

"Mhmmm…" Jasper said, still laughing.

"It's really nice to have a little sister who actually needs protecting Jasper. Not my fault she's more of my little sister than yours." Emmett said through narrowed eyes.

"Hey! You've got no right to say that! Bella's just as much my little sister as yours!" Jasper said without missing a beat.

"Well you don't have an awesome nickname now do you? No? Ha! In your face!"

"Get out of my face!"

"I'm not in your face!"

Then they looked at each other and burst out laughing. Even Edward was laughing! Rosalie, Alice and I looked at each other, confused. No matter how much we loved our men, we would never completely understand them. Men.

-:-

"Oh look at those shoes! And these shoes! Oh and these ones are cute! With the little pink bow!"

Yeah, you'd think that was Alice. Or Rosalie. But it wasn't. It was Emmett.

And when I asked him why he was suddenly so interested in shoes, he responded with:

"Bella, I realized at the beginning of the trip that I never understood the attraction between women and shoes. Which I still owe you a pair of damn it! Anyway, I understand the attraction to women so hopefully I'll understand the attraction to shoes then I can understand the attraction between women and shoes."

To which I responded, "Make sure you give a 98 percent effort. Your 96 percent effort obviously isn't working."

Which was an allusion to his failure to beat me in science. Ahh…. I loved eternal bragging rights.

He growled. I skipped off. Shoes.

We walked out of the store with only six bags. Two for Rose, only two for Alice, one for me and one for Emmett. Technically two for Emmett but he bought one for me.

And adorable pair of Gucci suede boots. He ended up getting a pair of silver stilettos. I don't even want to know why he might need those. And he got them in _his_ size, not Rosalie's. Creepy.

-:-

"Edward." I gasped. It was wonderful. Glorious. Amazing. Breathtaking.

He had brought me into a clearing with a pond in the middle. It was actually quite similar to our meadow in Forks. There were wildflowers in the meadow, complete with the gloomy sky looming overhead.

"Do you like it?" he asked, apprehensive.

"Edward, I don't see how anyone can't love it."

"But you're not anyone. You're Bella. The amazing, wonderful, stunning Bella." He said, pulling me along with him to a tablecloth he had laid out on the ground. And it even had a little picnic basket on top!

"Edward, it's amazing and fantastic. I love it."

He smiled a breath taking crooked smile and pulled me down with him so my head was leaning against his chest. He inhaled the scent of my hair.

"Mhhhh…."

We sat like that in silence for a while as I slowly ate my sandwich that he had so lovingly packed. But we didn't need words. The surreal feeling was enough. It conveyed all the love that we had for each other and the restraint that we had too. There were many things that we couldn't do until I was a vampire.

When I finished my sandwich, I stood up quickly and then started running towards the pond, taking off my layers as I ran. I dived into the freezing temperatures of the pond, reveling in the feeling of the water running against my skin.

I shook my head and then looked around for Edward. Where was he?

I felt his cool, strong arms wrap around me from behind. I gasped.

His lips were right at my ear. "You can't escape from me that easily, love." He whispered.

I shivered. Partially from the cold. Mostly from his voice. And him. He was so damn sexy!

I turned around to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"And who said I wanted to escape."

And I covered his mouth with mine before he could respond. Our lips moved in synch and I felt the lust heating up the pond- well, not literally. It felt so cold that nothing could warm up the pond. And I knew we had to stop soon.

I pulled away, gasping. "I decided not to end this tradition of ending up in the water. I like it." I whispered before pulling away from his grasp and to the edge of the water. But he wrapped his arm under my knee and arms, lifting me out of the water bridal style.

I smiled. I loved my boyfriend.

-:-

I was sick. I could tell by my runny nose, sore throat, somewhat large headache, and urge to cough. And today was the last day we'd be in England. The last day I'd be away with the Cullens.

It was probably from last week when I jumped into the freezing cold pond.

I sat down on my bed, trying to figure out what to do. I could stay in bed and go back to sleep, something I really wanted to do, or I could pretend nothing was wrong and enjoy my last day in England, something else I really wanted to do.

I decided to go out. Surely Edward wouldn't notice, right?

Now, what to wear, what to wear…. I pulled out a pair of designer jeans, boots, and then a tank top. I grabbed a heavy coat on my way out of my room, which had a fur hood and was lined with fur. Faux fur of course.

I really wanted to cough. There was definitely something lodged in the back of my throat. But then that would alert Edward that I was sick.

"So, what do we want to do today?" I tried to ask casually. My voice was only a little scratchy which could be due to the fact I just woke up.

Everybody still focused on what they were doing. Emmett and Jasper playing on the Wii, Esme doing something in the mini-kitchen, Alice and Rosalie flipping through a fashion magazine, and Carlisle and Edward seemed to arguing in the kitchen. What about?

But the second they heard my voice they stopped and Edward was by my side.

"Sorry love, did we wake you up?" he asked.

No, you didn't, my sore throat, runny nose, and headache did that.

But I said to him, "No, it was time I got up anyway." I looked at the clock. 7:15.

Okay, so I was up earlier than I normally was. Sue me.

I saw him glance quickly at the clock, raising an eyebrow. And I saw where he had some doubt. I woke up at 10:15 every day. So what if I was 3 hours earlier?

"Today's our last day in England and I wanted to spend it out and about." I explained. Which was completely and totally true.

I cleared my throat. It was still a little scratchy.

"Okay love, if that's what you want…" Edward said, still looking at me weirdly.

Well, what I wanted to do was flop back in bed, throw on some nice warm sweats and sleep. And eat chocolate. And chicken noodle soup too. Maybe some soft music in the background….

"Yup!" Everyone started to get up- Emmett stopped whining about having to leave video games after Esme threatened to take them away- and get ready for our day out. Our last day. "Achoo!"

Crap. Everyone's head jerked in my direction, all eyes focused on me.

"Umm… Allergies?"

**So please review!! She becomes a vampire soon!!**


	48. Death Bed

**So, my teachers are out to ruin my life. Let's see about my homework: 2 projects (two! Due Monday!), math HW (ew) vocabulary HW (we get vocab books), Cornell Notes (on 16 sections), and then a beat report (a report on 3 clubs for Journalism). And then I have to start reading my books for my book reviews too. This weekend just sucks. And then I figured out that one of my I-thought-was-my-best-friend didn't bother to invite me to her birthday party. I was pissed. And hurt. And disappointed.**

**So anyway, here's the chapter. Shopping messes with Alice's mind. It gets in the way of rational thought lol.**

Crap. Everyone's head jerked in my direction, all eyes focused on me.

"Umm… Allergies?"

**Chapter 48: Death Bed**

APOV

I looked her over. She was dressed. She was blushing. She was smiling. She was fine.

"She's fine. Now let's go! We have to go shopping! Last day!" I sang.

"Sure." Bella croaked.

"Wow, did Bella Swan just agree to go shopping? Are you sick?" Emmett asked.

"N-no. I'm fine. Perfectly fine." She stuttered.

I looked at her with narrowed eyes. Was she sick?

"I wanted that one of a kind Mui Mui dress." She said, widening her eyes a little.

I lost all suspicion. She finally transferred over to the light side, the side of shopping, money, and malls!

I grabbed her hand and ran out the door with her.

BPOV

My feet were killing me. My head was killing me. My throat was killing me. Maybe staying at the hotel would have been a better idea…

"Love, are you okay?" Edward asked because I was panting and slightly out of breath.

"Perfect." I replied with a smile, some not so nice words fighting to come out from behind my clenched teeth.

"Bella, you seem… out of breath."

"Alice dragging you around shopping does that to you. But you wouldn't know see as how you all are vampires." I snapped. I really wanted to just sit down and rest. So I did just that. Alice didn't hear my comment or notice that I stopped because she was too busy with the store we were in front of.

I plopped down and leaned my head against the brick wall. I moaned. That felt so good. So so good.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked again.

I didn't bother responding. It felt too good to be laying down. I closed my eyes and blocked out the noises of people rushing past me.

I felt a cool hand on my forehead and then a yelp. I heard buttons being pressed then frantic words. Then I heard nothing.

And it felt so good.

-:-

Faint curses and profanities were heard above me. My head was still spinning.

"Why didn't she tell me she was sick? She's burning up…" Edward?

"Edward." I said. My tongue felt dry and my voice rough.

"Shh, love. It's okay. I'm bringing you to Carlisle."

I felt the air rushing past me. I cracked open an eye. Trees and bushes flying passed us. I felt my stomach lurch and my dinner start coming up.

"Edward, you might want to stop for a second. She's going to blow." Alice? She was here too?

And then I puked over the side. I felt like crap.

I felt Edward holding my hair as I continued to empty my stomach. What had I eaten last night? Oh right, pasta.

I closed my eyes and leaned backwards. I just wanted to lie down and sleep. But Edward picked me up again and I felt the air whistling past us.

I groaned.

"Is she going to be okay?" was the last thing I heard before I slipped into unconsciousness. I didn't even hear the answer.

-:-

My eyes snapped open. White ceiling. Gross, latex-y smell. _Hospital._

"Hello?" I croaked. Where was Edward?

"Bella." He sounded relieved.

"Am I okay?"

He didn't respond. "Bella."

What was that supposed to mean? I decided to ignore it for now. I looked at my angel. I smiled at him. He was wearing a blue button up shirt that really accentuated his muscles.

"I really like that blue shirt on you Edward. It looks good."

His lips pulled up into a taut, forced smile. "Thanks love."

Something was wrong.

"What's the date Edward?"

"April 15th." He whispered. If he could cry, he would.

"Where's my mom?"

I wanted to talk to her before I left her. I knew Edward was only sad because these next hours would be my last as a human. I knew my mom would be sad because these next few hours would be last of my life in her eyes. I would never see her again.

I felt tears well up in my eyes. I didn't want to leave her. I wanted to comment on how hot Channing Tatum was, like that day in December when I came home to popcorn and a movie.

"Where's my mom?" I repeated with a shaky voice when he didn't respond.

"Bella, you're mom left." He said, so softy I almost missed it.

I felt my heart drop the pit of my stomach. She left me? When I was on my death bed? I felt anger rise. Of course she would. I never should have expected her to stay.

"She said she couldn't watch her daughter die in front of her eyes. That no parent should have to watch their child die before them." Edward whispered.

"Did she even consider how it would affect me? She doesn't care enough to be here? I've been pushed aside every day of every year of my freaking life by her! The least she could do is show some respect to the dead and dying…" I was referring to my father. She never visited his grave after the funeral, the one time she was there. She never paid attention to me except for that mother-daughter bonding night.

I didn't mean to lash out at Edward. "Sorry Edward. But… I wanted to spend some of my last moments as a human with her. My last moments alive, as she knows me to be."

I turned my face down into my pillow and let the tears slip out.

"Shh… Bella it's okay." Edward said, running his hands over my hair.

I let the tears run down my face and dampen the pillow. Edward pulled me onto his lap, holding me tightly. Holding me together. So I let go.

I cried about my mother's neglect. I cried about the pain she caused me. I cried about my ending life. I cried about my father. I cried about how he wouldn't be here to hold my hand. He would if he was still here, wouldn't he?

It was as if Edward could read my mind. "Bella, your mom loves you. She just has trouble expressing it. And Charlie. He loves you too. And he always had. But… Bella. I know you still hope he'll come back. Every night in your sleep, you ask him not to go, not to leave you. But he never left. He's still there, in your heart. Emotionally, just not physically. Hoping that he'll appear at your door one day… it's weighing you down Bella. It's time to say good-bye."

I knew it was time to let go of him. But I always kind of expected to be able to join him later when I died. And that was what Edward was telling me. That I would never be able to join him.

I attempted taking a deep, shaky breath. But I couldn't. It felt like it was over. The race, to outrun the truth, was over. I had lost. It had crept up on my and attacked.

I would never join father in heaven. I would never see my father. He really was dead. I had always hoped he would come back, even though I had seen his body burning.

Foolish, childish dreams of mine. They would never come true.

I felt as if my heart was being ripped open. The subconscious thought that had grown over the past months, that my father would come back, just because I 'saw' him once, was shattered.

I couldn't stand the pain. I didn't want to. The harsh reality.

I remembered my father's face. His laugh lines. His twinkling brown eyes. His dimples next to his lips that were always pulled up at the corners.

But I also knew that I'd always love him. I unclenched my fists when I realized that they were balled up. I let down my walls. I let the harsh reality crash into me like a battering ram.

And Edward held me tight to his chest while I cried, ruining the blue button up shirt that looked so good on him.

-:-

When I opened my puffy eyes , I felt different. Lighter. Happier?

I looked around. No one was in my room. That was… odd.

And then I saw why. My mom.

She was just entering the room, a letter in her hand. Her eyes were swollen and red. She had been crying.

"Mom."

"Bella." She said. And in that one word, I understood her. She didn't want to see her baby girl die but she knew that she needed to be there too. For her sanity. So it didn't feel like she abandoned her child on her death bed.

"Bella, I love you. Always know that." She said, her eyes glazed.

I closed my eyes. "I love you too mom."

"Here, this is for you." she said. I opened my eyes. She was holding a letter out to me. I looked at it curiously.

"It's from your father." She said, answering my unspoken question.

My breath caught in my throat. I took the letter with a shaky hand and opened it slowly.

His messy scrawl already had my eyes watering. He had touched this. He had wrote this. It was the last thing of him that I had left.

"I was supposed to give it to you on your 18th birthday." Renee said. I barely heard her.

_My dearest Bella, _

_If you are reading this, then Happy Birthday! You are now 18, a full grown, beautiful woman off to college. I am so proud of you. I remember when you were a baby, learning to walk. It seemed like it was just yesterday. Now, you are a grown woman taking her first steps into the world. And I won't lie. Life's harsh. Some days, it sucks, you just want to curl up in a ball and die. So many problems, so many things to do. But when you walk home and you have a family, a husband, waiting for you at home, you realize that it's worth living for. I want you to know that I love you. No matter what happens to me, I love you. And I know you love me too. No matter how old you grow, you will always be my little girl. When I am gone off this Earth, know that I love you._

_But let's not talk about such morbid things now. I want to give you your 18__th__ birthday gift, the gift that I've had planned since you were 6. The gift that I bought when you were 13. An Island. I named it Isle Bella for you. I hope you can visit it whenever you need an escape from work, a place to relax. When I first went there- the time I left the two days before your 13__th__ birthday and you thought I wouldn't be at your party, refusing to talk to me for a week- I knew it was perfect. The sun shines so brightly over it, like you do over my life. The world doesn't run without the sun; neither does mine. I had a small cottage built there. I hope you enjoy my gift. _

_Happy 18__th__ Birthday! No matter what happens, know that I love you, and that you will always be Daddy's little girl. _

_With all my heart, _

_Charlie _

I smiled as tears ran down my face. Yes, he loved me. And I loved him too.

I looked up at my mom who was watching my face.

She smiled weakly. "Behind the letter are papers showing your ownership of the island. And of course, the key to the cottage. It's yours Bella." She said.

"Thanks."

My mom looked down at me shyly before pulling me into a hug.

"I will never forget you mom." I whispered in her ear.

EPOV

I ran my hand through my hair. I really didn't want to do this. But we had to. Because Renee wanted to hold Bella's hand as she died. And that made sense. She _was_ her mother after all.

We were going to drug Bella up with morphine, so the pain of changing wouldn't be so bad. Hopefully.

Jasper was going to 'fix' the machine she was hooked up to so her life line would go flat before it actually had. She had to have a heartbeat in order to be changed.

After Renee had said her goodbyes and the such, we'd take Bella to our house where she'd be changed. Changed into a vampire. Into one of us.

"And now it's April 16th." Alice breathed out.

****Explanation: **

**Bella knew her father was dead but she really didn't want to accept it. So she didn't. She wanted to believe that he would walk home one day, standing in the doorway hug his baby girl. So she did. But she realized that the 'welcome' would be in heaven, when she died. Which she wasn't going to. So she let go of that, the thought of seeing her father again and welcoming him home. So she let go of him and accepted that her father was dead.**

**So there's the explanation. Oh and you should be proud of me- I've written 3 chapters this weekend! I found out that writing in different fonts helps you get over writer's block (yes, I had another mild case of writer's block. I figured that out when I sat down and didn't know what to write). And let me tell you, there's some drama between Irina and Bella. Let's just say they don't get along very well: **_"Are you implying something you little brat?" "Why no, where'd you get that idea? I'm not implying anything. I'm saying it."_** It was quite fun to write. And that's all I'm going to give you from that chapter. **

**Wow, sorry. Long author's note. And the preview for the next chapter, which will probably be coming out sooner than later: **

****

_"Jake, if I'm must mistaken, which I'm not, then you weren't invited here! So you better leave before I call the police for you stalking me." _

_He looked uncomfortable. My eyes widened. "Are you stalking me?" _

Now, as stated above (the first author's note) my schedule for this weekend's been majorly busy, but I've written 3 chapters. So, I will be able to update more often! I'm so sorry for having to keep you guys waiting! It's just that freshman year is really hard.

So, please review!


	49. It's Too Late to Apologize

**Thanks to my reviewers! So, first of all, I'd like to ask you to please not review if you're going to be mean. I've recieved 3 rude reviews and now I'm going to put my foot down. **

**And to another of my reviewers, I know that cancer isn't exact and you're going to die on said day. That's why she got sick and weakened and then hospitalized because of it. They change her before her heart stops because they can't be sure (well, they could be with Alice) of the exact second her heart was going to stop. So they just change her a little ahead. And, I am a writer so I do have a few rights in the creativity section lol.**

After Renee had said her goodbyes and the such, we'd take Bella to our house where she'd be changed. Changed into a vampire. Into one of us.

"And now it's April 16th." Alice breathed out.

**Chapter 49: It's too Late to Apologize**

BPOV

All the Cullens filed in with solemn looks on their faces. I noticed that Edward looked especially pained, though I didn't know why.

Carlisle came in last with a chart in his hand, a distressed look on his face and his blonde hair in a messy disarray.

He cleared his throat. "Well, Bella, would you like to have a few words with everyone before…" he couldn't finished. If he could cry, I knew he would.

I was about to say no but then I realized that I had to keep up appearances.

I simply nodded my head. My mom got up and left, leaving only Esme and I. There was a slightly awkward silence. Neither of us knew what to say. I was going to join her family soon, so there really wasn't a need for goodbye.

She startled me by scooping me up in a hug. "Good-bye my dear, human Bella." She whispered in my ear.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. "I'm really excited to join your family Esme." I said quietly.

She looked like she was about to cry too. Why? I didn't get it.

She walked out though and Emmett was next. I smiled widely. At least someone wouldn't look like I was about to… die. I could really use a good joke.

But I was disappointed when I saw his face. My face fell.

"Aww come on Emmett! Here I was expecting a good laugh and you have to get all weepy on me!" I groaned.

He smiled weakly at me. "Bella, it's just that, well, I'm going to really miss you. I guess I don't really need to protect my weak, human, little sister once she becomes a big strong vampire who can take care of herself." He said sadly, looking down.

"Come on Emmett! Do you really think that I won't need you anymore? Of course I do! You'll always be my big brother who always makes me laugh and whose always there when some inconsiderate jerk tries to hit on me." I said.

He looked up at me, his eyes twinkling.

I lowered my voice a little so it was a little more than a whisper. "I'll always see you as my big brother Emmett. Even when I'm a vampire. I love you."

That was the first time I'd ever told Emmett that I loved him. And I knew that the situation was too serious for him to turn it into a joke. I loved him like a brother, my big brother bear.

"Sorry Bells, but I've got Rosalie. Although, I'm sure you can always become the nurse when Rose and I—"

I cut him off. "Too much information Emmett! Out! Send Rose in while you're at it!"

I should never had under estimated Emmett. Of course he could turn the most serious conversation he probably ever had in his life into a perverted joke.

I watched him walk out while I shook my head in disgust. That was Emmett for you.

I hummed to myself as I waited for Rose to come, my big sister slash mother. When I didn't need to be taken care of anymore, would she still want to be part of my life? Or would she hate me like she had when I first met her?

Don't be ridiculous Bella, she'll still love you. I tried reassuring myself. And it was a stupid worry right? But what if I was right?

I leaned back into my pillows, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, preparing myself for this awkward conversation. When I heard the door open, I began to talk.

"Rose, I think I know how you must feel but I have to tell that I do love no matter what, even when I'm one of you. And even though I won't need a mother as much, I will always need in my life as my hot amazing older sister."

Silence. I debated as to whether or not I should continue or if I should let her talk.

My eyes shot open when something was actually said. "What do you mean 'when I'm one of you'? Are you planning on becoming one of those bloodsuckers?! How could you Bella? You do know that that means war, right?"

Jacob. I narrowed my eyes. "Jake, if I'm must mistaken, which I'm not, then you weren't invited here! So you better leave before I call the police for you stalking me."

He looked uncomfortable. My eyes widened. "Are you stalking me?"

He shifted awkwardly from one foot to another. "Bella, you've got to hear me out first. Please." He begged, stepping towards me.

"No Jake! Out! You- you peeping Tom!" I pointed my finger towards the hospital door to emphasis my point.

His eyes widened. "Whoa Bella! It's not like that! I've got a girlfriend!" I was listening now, though no one said I was believing. I was surprised that Edward wasn't already in here. "I just couldn't let you just… leave with those leeches. So I might have followed you a bit. Which I am sure damn glad of. You know, that trick you played in the arctic…"

"_You_ were there?" I asked, my anger bubbling up.

"Course I was Bells. You know, you need to be more careful." He said casually.

I narrowed my eyes. "You arrogant, ignorant, _dog_!"

It was his fault for my almost drowning. Damn dog was following us.

"What Bella! Is keeping you safe such a crime?" he exclaimed, his anger bubbling up too.

"Why yes it is Jake! First you stalk me then you nearly kill me! You know, Alice would have seen it sooner if you weren't there you stupid idiotic dog! Now out!" I shouted.

"Huh? You mean that physic bloodsucker can't see me?"

I was breathing deeply and exhaled in a huff. "No, she can't. Now leave. And send Rose in." I said in a dead voice.

"Hold up Bella! I want you to know that you have other options besides becoming one of… them."

"Like what Jake? I know I could die, but I love Edward and I can't leave him." I said.

"Surely there's something else! Like you could _buy_ another heart or something like that. I'm sure you're name would jump right to the top of the list if you put a high enough price on it. You're loaded." He said proudly.

I was seeing red. "GET THE FU—"

"Language!" came Emmett's voice from the hallway. I could hear from his voice that he was laughing.

"OUT OF MY ROOM!"

The little weasel thought I would do that? Take someone's else heart and life? So I could survive? When I obviously had other options?

"Hey, I'm just telling you that you have other options! I don't want to lose you Bella." Jake said quietly.

"Jake, I really only talked to you over the internet on facebook. That's it. There never was and never will be anything between us. And, you're a little…" I tried to think up another excuse why _we_ would never work, besides the fact that I was in love with Edward. "…young for me." I finished lamely. I didn't even know how old he was.

"Bella, I'm older than you. You're a September birthday, I'm June."

Damn. Time to be blunt. And I really didn't want to hurt Jake. He was a nice enough guy. Most times.

"Jake, I don't even see you that way. I see you as a friend. I love Edward. And I plan on spending the rest of eternity with him." I wanted to add 'and there's nothing you can do about it' at the end, but I knew that he would object.

"Bella, I'm not asking for much. Just a chance. I really really like you Bells."

"You have a girlfriend. Don't be a pig and cheat on her. Now out! Or I will send Emmett and Edward and Jasper and Rosalie in here to kick your uh butt out." I tried to keep my colorful vocabulary out of my conversation with Jake because Esme would yell at me and it only seemed to make Jake smirk.

"Bells, I didn't want to have to tell you this. But I will. The Cullens and the werewolves have a treaty. They won't _bite_ a human and we won't attack them."

"Jake, they could easily defeat you. They only agreed because a) they weren't dangerous and b) they knew they could defeat you. And they're going to change me because a) I'd be dead tomorrow if they didn't and b) Edward loves me and I love Edward. Now please, just go."

He smiled half-heartedly before walking out the door. "Bye Bells." He said softly.

I sighed and leaned back into my pillows again. Rose walked in wearing her strappy red heels. She smiled at me.

"Well Bella, you did a good job talking to Jake. Emmett had to hold me back from ripping his head off here and now."

I giggled. Imaging Rose in her short skirt and heels, tearing off Jake's head, 6" tall Jake, was kind of funny. As long as it didn't happen.

We talked a little and I repeated my speech again, even though I knew she heard it the first time. She accepted it, though a little reluctant to. She liked being a mother.

Next in was Jasper and Alice. We had never been really close. But I knew he loved me like a sister and I like a brother. He was always the calm one in the family and off set Alice perfectly.

"Hey Jasper, Alice."

He nodded and I could tell he was holding his breath. I couldn't wait until he could be in the same room as me without having to worry about killing me. Although being together during our all-around-the-world trip seemed to do wonders for his restraint.

"Bella! If you woke up a day earlier we could have had a party! But now it seems like a stupid party. Like one for you dying. Which sounds kind of stupid and mean and cruel and yeah, we can't do it now! But think, in just three days, we can reserve the mall so you don't go killing all the poor civilians, and shop! And since you don't get tired, we can do it for hours on end!" she squealed, bouncing and clapping her small hands together.

"Alice!" I groaned. I did not want to think about the future, shopping, and limitless energy in the same sentence.

Jasper put his hand on his wife's shoulder, his wave of calm and peace affecting her instantly. She stopped bouncing and looked me in the eye.

"Bella, I want you to know that as much as I would love having you as a vampire sister, I really would have wanted you to stay human a little longer. I really like having a human friend." she said somberly.

I was shocked by her sudden mood change but quickly brushed it off.

"Alice, I love having you as a sister too. And you don't always get what you want, but you do get a lot of things. I'm glad that you're my sister and always will be. Same with you Jasper. I'm glad that I'm going to be getting the most loving and kind parents to watch over me for the rest of eternity. I'm glad that I'll have Edward, the most beautiful person to have walked this Earth, as my boyfriend. And that's all I can ever ask for."

EPOV

I listened to Bella's speech to Alice and smiled. She was beautiful, inside and out. All I could ever ask for and more. I was so lucky to have found her and snatched her up.

Esme would definitely be crying if she could. I patted her on the shoulder.

_Edward, send in Esme and Carlisle. _Alice said.

I conveyed the message to Esme who quickly brightened up. She needed to be strong for Bella. We all did. For what she was doing for us, for what she was giving up.

Jasper and Alice were beside me but I barely noticed. Was Bella going to be mad at me for making her give up so much? Her humanity? Her life? What if she didn't love me afterwards? I knew I wouldn't stop her, no matter how much pain it would cause me.

_Edward, I can feel your doubt. But don't worry, she's completely sure about what she's doing. Don't worry. _Jasper 'said.'

I exhaled. I knew I was over thinking things. I loved Bella and somehow that beautiful girl loved me too. But she _was_ only a girl. One month more than 16 and a half. My beautiful girl. And she had so much life to live. And we were taking that away from her.

But she was going to die anyway, so weren't we adding to it? But we were also cursing her to this existence, the ever-present thirst.

_Think about what you want Edward. I know you're doubting it my son, but think about what you want for once and then think about what she wants. Don't doubt for a second that they're the same desire_. Carlisle's voice rang through my head.

What did she want? To join me for eternity; she had even said it herself. What did I want? For her to join me for eternity.

But there was one more want present. And that was for her to become my wife.

BPOV

Edward walked in the door and seemed to be deep in thought. I was wondering what he was thinking about. Was he doubting changing me? Well, did he no longer want to change me? Did he not love me anymore? Had he found someone else?

These thoughts plagued my mind and continued to eat me from the inside out as he sat there in silence.

His head snapped up and started shaking from side to side. He probably decided to just say it, those four words that would kill me. I braced myself as I waited for the next words, the 'I don't love you' to come out of his mouth.

"Bella, are you sure about your decision? Because I know I want it more than anything, but I don't want you to hate me afterwards, to hate me for damning you to this existence." He said.

I exhaled the breath that I didn't realize I was holding. He still loved me.

"Edward, wherever you are, so am I. Of course I want to join you and your family for eternity. I love you and never want to be parted from you."

A breathtaking smile broke across his face. "Carlisle was right."

I didn't even know what he was talking about. I didn't care. All that I knew was that Edward loved me and Edward was holding my hands in his and Edward was staring at me with his deep topaz eyes of his.

Carlisle walked in but I barely notice him. "It's time Edward."

And he injected something into my IV. I felt my eyelids start to feel heavy and close. I heard the door open once more and another hand, a warm hand, took mine. A few minutes later I heard the line go flat but my heart was still beating.

What was going on? Was the machine broken? I heard my mom's sobs fade into the background, heard the wind whistling past my ears. The sound of flesh- was it my flesh?- tearing.

And then I felt it. The burning. The pain. I gasped and reached my hand out. And I felt Edward's large, cold hand take mine. The hands of a piano player, the hands of my lover, the hands of _a vampire_.

**So, the other night I was just about to go to bed when inspiration struck! At 5 AM. So, I'm going to post that story soon. So, check it out! And I'm going to post the second half of Race to the Top. **

**Preview of Chapter 50: **

_Since my children, especially Emmett, got bored easily, there was bound to be a lot of… crude entertainment. Emotions got out of hand which caused Jasper pain which led to shorter tempers around the house. _

_I peeled out of the parking lot and was at my house within minutes. I heard a loud crash and a someone cursing like a sailor- probably Emmett. Someone seemed to be talking to themselves- "how didn't I see this?"- Alice and Edward was more than likely at Bella's side because he was saying "it'll be alright love". _

_Another crash. A thud. A scream. A bang. A curse. _

_Ah. Home sweet home._

**And a preview of my new story, Is it Too Late to Say I love you?: **

_"Edward, let go! I have to go!" I was pleading, hysteric by now. _

_He suddenly turned around to face me. "Bella, you can't go! You just can't!" _

_"Why not Edward, why not? I'm humiliated, I'm hurt, I'm heartbroken. My life is falling apart at the seams! I want to go Edward. I need to go! Tell Alice I said goodbye." I said as I began to walk towards the doorway to the plane again._

_But he caught my arm. "You can't go Bella. You can't leave behind all your friends and family because of one sleazebag. Think of how hard it is for Charlie to see you leave like this Bella. Think of how hard it is for me! I went over to your house this morning, looking for you. And Charlie told me that you had gone to the airport. To Phoenix. I can't let you go Bella."_

**Please review! But if you're going to be mean, then please don't. I don't know about you but I'd rather not recieve a review saying "you can't write" or something along those lines.**


	50. Home Sweet Home

And then I felt it. The burning. The pain. I gasped and reached my hand out. And I felt Edward's large, cold hand take mine. The hands of a piano player, my lover, _a vampire_.

**Chapter 50: Home Sweet Home**

BPOV

The fire coursed through my veins, taking on a whole new being. A monster that strove to eat me alive from the inside out, feeding on the pain and throbbing of my body, never ending its course.

It was a river that refused to stop, that rushed and pounded and burned all the way down to my toes. The morphine did nothing. It was pushed aside as the fire raged through my body. I felt the all consuming fire burn its way through my body as it my conscience writhed and cringed, wondering as to why I would ever do such a stupid thing as fall in love with a vampire.

But my physical body, it stayed still and inert, refusing to give the raging fire its satisfaction of writhing and cringing. I stayed still for my love, my vampire lover. I focused on each second as it ticked by, each minute and hour of each day. Three days of this Bella. You can do this. For Edward.

JPOV

I saw Edward watching her, feeling immensely guilty for the pain that he was most likely causing her. The pain that I remembered so well, the pain of the blaze of the flames that consumed you.

It would hurt to see the love of your life on the table, trapped in the burning hands of the venom. I knew I would never be able to watch Alice do that, lay on the table as she burned.

But Bella stayed stock still, not moving an inch. If I hadn't known better, I would have guessed she was dead. But she wasn't. She was living. Yet, as the same time, dying. Dying for Edward. Dying for love.

Esme POV

My little baby was growing up! She was wouldn't need her overprotective mother anymore I just knew it. She talked to me in the hospital and told me that she'd always need me, but I found myself doubting that for some odd reason.

Maybe because she'd be able to fend for herself now. I missed being a mother. Someone who was needed. And it was different with Bella. She was human and needed to be taken care of.

Now, well soon, she'd be a vampire. I watched from the doorway of Edward's room, where she lay on the couch, and I let the pain of loss flood through me.

"Esme, you do know that you'll always be needed by Bella. She loves you." he said without turning around.

I sighed. _I know. I just feel that she won't really need a mother anymore. She's got you and Emmett. And she's always been independent. _

"Mom, don't worry. Why don't you start designing her room? I'm sure she'd really appreciate that."

Now that was a great idea. I tuned him out, the only word I heard was 'wait.' Yeah right. If he meant to wait to decorate her room, I wouldn't. What colors would Bella like? She'd like to be across from Edward of course, until they decided to consummate their relationship.

Blues? Pink? No, that'd be too… Alice for Bella.

But light blue walls with a darker green trim? Hmmm….

APOV

So it was finally happening. Whenever I had a vision, I was always relieved when it happened. So that way I wouldn't be waiting- dreading or impatient- for the event to happen.

And this was an event that I was both dreading and impatient for. She was finally going to become one of us and become Bella's mate. Edward had been alone too long. I was happy for him.

_Edward had taken Bella out to a meadow, their meadow, as they talked idly. _

"_Bella, what would you say about marriage?" a proposal of a sort. _

"_Not now Edward. I think I should take some time to get used to this, this new life." _

A no? Huh, I had already seen them getting married before.

_Another vision with Edward with his head between his hands. Another no? _

_And then it finally came. Edward, wearing a black suit that contrasted his skin, kneeling on one knee in a restaurant. _

"_Bella, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" _

_Her gasp and a quick bob of her head before throwing her arms around him. She looked up over his shoulder and I saw a quick flash of her eyes. They were brown. The chocolate brown of the eyes she had today. _

Now it was my time to gasp. Did something happen with the transformation? Was she going to stay human? What was she?

RPOV

I heard Alice gasp and didn't even think. I ran upstairs to her room where she sat with her legs crossed and her eyes wide, her jaw hanging open.

"Alice, what is it?" was something wrong with Bella?

"I need to talk to Edward." Was all she said before jumping up and running up the flight of stairs to his room with me close on her heels.

"What is it?" Edward was sitting with his back to us, holding Bella's hand. He had easily heard us running up the stairs- we weren't being quiet. And he might have heard what we were thinking, depending on whether or not he was focusing on our minds or focusing on Bella.

"Both." He said quietly.

"Edward, look at this!" Alice exclaimed, 'showing' him her vision.

His back stiffened and his jaw tightened- tighter than it was before.

"What? What is it?" I was desperate for knowledge. Did something go wrong? Was it Bella? Why weren't they telling me? What weren't they telling me?

"Bella, I don't know if she changed or if there was a malfunction or something. She's _human._"

I heard my quick intake of breath but that was all. I sunk to the floor.

Did that mean that we changed her for nothing? That she could have survived? That she needn't be damned to this life? That she had had a chance to stay human and have children?

I was ready to burst, to scream and cry- at least, cry as the vampire part of me allowed- about it, the unfairness of life and what we had done to pure, innocent Bella.

"No Rose, there was nothing we could have done to save her without changing her. She would have died 10 minutes after we changed her if we didn't change her in the first place. I don't know what's happening Rose, but this, this change is nothing we can prevent. I don't know what my vision means, but I will find out." Alice said quickly, stopping my outburst.

I sighed and slouched. I looked at the clock and the calendar, wondering how much time would be left for Bella until she woke up from the burning hell she was currently living in.

April 17th, 12:31 AM. So that left… 47 and a half hours left. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep as I waited for her to wake up, counting down the seconds.

"Me too Rosalie, me too." Edward said, responding to my thoughts. I almost smiled. Edward and I had never had the best relationship and it was nice to finally agree on something for once.

CPOV

I fidgeted in my seat again as I waited for the page. I had a huge surgery today to remove a brain tumor and was waiting while they prepped him for the OR.

I was impatient for the day to end when I could finally go home and see Bella, my little angel of a daughter that was currently suffering the pain of the venom.

Closing my eyes, I leaned back in my leather chair. I told Edward to call me if anything, anything at all went wrong. Which I highly doubted.

I looked at the clock that hung above my door. 1:07 AM.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

My pager. I sat up and walked over to the door as a nurse in blue reached to open it. She had blonde hair with dark roots and light blue eyes. She blushed.

"D-dr. Cullen. I-I was sent to co-come get you." she stuttered out, nervous, although I didn't see why. Yeah, vampires looked… attractive. But I was too old for her (even if you counted my 'life' in human years) and I was married. Humans these days.

I nodded though. "Thanks-" I quickly glanced at the name embroidered in her scrubs so she didn't notice that I didn't know her name "-Jennifer."

She blushed again before telling me the information for which OR I was booked in. As I didn't already know- I saw it on the board.

But I nodded and pretended to pay attention as we walked over to the OR, where I saved yet another human life.

As I rinsed my hands and walked out of my surgery, I glanced at the clock again. 4:05 AM.

Still a lot of time left before Bella woke up, but I could at least go home now. I stopped at the front desk before I walked out.

"Janet, can you make sure that I'm not paged unless it's a dire emergency? Because I'm having a family emergency at home that'll probably last a while."

She nodded and started clacking on her keyboard with her fake acrylic nails of hers. I walked over to my Mercedes and started wondering what scenarios I would encounter when I got home.

Since my children, especially Emmett, got bored easily, there was bound to be a lot of… crude entertainment. Emotions got out of hand which caused Jasper pain which led to shorter tempers around the house.

I peeled out of the parking lot and was at my house within minutes. I heard a loud crash and a someone cursing like a sailor- probably Emmett. Someone seemed to be talking to themselves- "how didn't I see this?"- Alice and Edward was more than likely at Bella's side because he was saying "it'll be alright love".

Another crash. A thud. A scream. A bang. A curse. Ah. Home sweet home.

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	51. The Awakening

I peeled out of the parking lot and was at my house within minutes. I heard a loud crash and a someone cursing like a sailor- probably Emmett. Someone seemed to be talking to themselves- "how didn't I see this?"- Alice and Edward was more than likely at Bella's side because he was saying "it'll be alright love".

Another crash. A thud. A scream. A bang. A curse. Ah. Home sweet home.

**Chapter 51: The Awakening**

CPOV

Apparently Emmett got a brilliant idea to challenge Jasper to an Xbox game, which he really should have known better. Since everyone's emotions were haywire, Jasper thought it best not to. Until Emmett asked him again. And again. And again.

Pent up with irritation and frustration, Jasper eventually agreed. And beat Emmett. Who accused him of cheating. Which caused him to burst. They ended throwing around Esme's pots, pans, and knives while wrestling each other to the floor, effectively crushing the plasma TV, the Xbox and Esme's coffee table.

Image my surprise when I walked in. I grounded both of them after making them clean up the mess. Which soon turned into another disaster.

"This is all your fault Jasper." Emmett would mumble under his breath while they started to clean everything up. And even when they were working at vampire speed, there was a big mess.

Eventually Jasper's emotions, which were mixed with those of everyone else and included anger, irritation, frustration, nervousness, worry, pity, regret, and doubt, caused him to explode.

A tackle, a curse, and a good punch in the head before I could effectively stop them.

"Emmett! Jasper! Go to your rooms and stay there until Bella wakes up."

"But dad! It was his fault!"

"Carlisle! I can't help it!"

When I stood my ground, they tried negotiating.

"That's two days. Two whole days. What if I left with Alice and we went—"

"Yeah, I could leave with Rose and we could—"

"This is punishment, not a free excuse for another honeymoon. To your rooms and stay there. No hunting. And Alice will tell me if either of you try escaping."

Jasper smirked. Since he was Alice's husband she would surely go easy on him. Emmett knew this.

"That's not fair! He's married to Alice! She's not going to tell you anything! Not fair!" and he stomped up to his room, Jasper chuckling softly under his breath, following him.

I sighed. Boys will be boys.

I decided to check on Bella to see how she was doing. I knew she'd be fine but a father can't help but worry.

"How is she?" I asked Edward who was sitting beside her, his head down.

"Fine." He said curtly. I knew he wasn't being rude. He was just really stressed at the moment.

"You should talk to Alice. She has something to tell you." he said dully. I could tell that he wasn't himself when Bella wasn't around, well, awake and smiling. He needed her and her him.

I grinned. I was glad that all my children had found mates. I walked down a flight of stairs to Alice's room where her and Rose were sitting on her bed, talking quickly.

"Is everything alright? Edward told me to talk to you."

Alice jumped. That was a first. I was getting worried.

"Carlisle! You're home!" she said.

I looked over to Rose who wore the same mask of fear, anxiety and worry. What was wrong?

"What's wrong?" I asked urgently. I hoped I'd be able to fix it.

"Bella. Carlisle, I saw a vision of Bella and she had brown eyes."

"Are you sure that you just… saw the lighting wrong and her topaz eyes seemed brown?"

"Carlisle! I'm positive! I think something went wrong with her transformation or something."

"And I think it could just be her power or something from when she opens her eyes." Rosalie put in quickly. Ah, they were at a disagreement. I was surprised the roles weren't reversed and Rose wasn't worrying while Alice was.

"I've never heard of a power like that Rosalie. Becoming human?"

"No one said anything about becoming human. Her eyes just might be a funny color to attract her prey." Rose retorted.

"I doubt that. I think something might have gone wrong."

"But you saw her with red eyes? So something probably didn't go wrong."

I listened to both sides of the argument. If she did have the power to become human, that would be amazing, but that was never heard of.

"Hmm this is interesting. I think all we can do is wait and see. And I don't think anything's going to go wrong with the transformation Alice. I'm sure you would see that. And vampire venom doesn't just… become ineffective. Once it's injected and starts its way towards the heart, there's no going back. Oh and keep an eye out on Jasper and Emmett to ensure their captivity within the house. They're grounded for ruining Esme's living room."

And I walked out, my excitement for Bella's finished transformation into a vampire doubled.

EPOV

I watched Bella and the slow changes that occurred. Her already pale face became paler, the few blemishes on her face disappeared, her hair grew an inch longer, and her arms became more muscular. But to the human eyes, barely anything was different.

So I pretended to have human eyes. No matter how many physical changes Bella went through, she'd still be the same. And I'd still love. Forever.

"I love you Bella." And I gave her hand a squeeze.

The two days passed with exaggerated slowness; I remembered every second of each moment of agony that I had waited for my sleeping beauty to wake from.

I saw her arch her back as her heart started beating rapidly, as her heart thudded one last time, as her heart stopped. This time for good.

"Bella?"

BPOV

I remained still with my teeth clenched against the urge to scream and kick and cry, to beg Edward to take away my life and end that pain. I only moved when I felt the venom recede from my limbs and spread towards my heart, as it took off at a sprint and I could feel every cell in my heart burn. And then it stopped.

The venom started to fade, and with it the pain. I could suddenly hear everything, the cautious exhale of every family member, the soft brush of each grass blade hitting each other in the cool wind outside.

"Bella?" a velvety soft voice that I knew and loved.

I sat up in one fluid movement and opened my eyes. I saw everything. I saw each dust particle floating in the air. I saw the specks of dirt that ran along the edge of the wall. And I saw Edward.

His bronze hair, as messy as always, his dark eyes, and his nervous grin on his face.

It was like I could breathe- even though I didn't need to- again. He seemed to sparkle, to glow, even though the window was closed and there wasn't any sunlight.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was even more glorious than I had ever thought possible. Every time I saw him when I was a human, none of it compared to what he looked like now. Now, he looked better than a Greek god.

"Edward." I breathed out. It was like a tinkle of bells together, a sound so unlike my old voice, yet so similar.

"Bella love, are you okay?" he slowly approached me, as if afraid that I'd run from him. Or attack him.

Was I okay? Yes, I was more than okay. I could be with Edward forever. I could live with the Cullens forever. But I felt the burn in the back of my throat. The need for blood. And I felt the ache in the back of my heart. The ache for Renee.

I nodded anyway. Yes, I was okay.

Then I noticed the presence of my other family members. Alice seemed to be frustrated yet relieved while Rosalie seemed smug. Carlisle looked curious while Esme and Emmett simply smiled. But through that simple gesture, I could tell that they were ecstatic.

My eyes landed on Jasper last. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He had small crescent white marks covering his neck, face and arms. What were they?

I stepped off the bed that I was on- Edward's bed- and slowly advanced towards Jasper. I held out my hand and gently ran my fingertips along one of his scars. It was smooth, like a scar that has formed after a wound healed.

I pulled my hand back as the whole family watched me. I could tell that Jasper was merely amused.

And then Rosalie gasped. My head, along with everyone else's whipped towards her. Her hand was covering her mouth and her eyes large.

Alice had already seen it coming because she was the only one who didn't look confused. Well, Edward read it from Alice's mind, so he wasn't confused. But I was.

"What?"

She walked up to where we were and ran her hand along the same spot I had touched. I noticed what she was pointing to. The smooth skin that no longer had a thin crescent scar. The smooth skin that was blank, the skin that was how it was supposed to be. It held no scar.

My eyes widened at the enormity of the situation. If I could do that, how much more could I do?

And then my throat burst into flames and I knew that I needed to hunt. I turned to Edward who nodded and took my hand. He pulled open the curtains and opened the window swiftly before we jumped out.

He was going to take me hunting.

**So, it's two powers kind of. Edward CANNOT read Bella's mind but she's not really a shield. **

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	52. We Have Visitors

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And then my throat burst into flames and I knew that I needed to hunt. I turned to Edward who nodded and took my hand. He pulled open the curtains and opened the window swiftly before we jumped out.

He was going to take me hunting.

**Chapter 52: We have Visitors**

EPOV

Bella. My Bella. My vampire Bella.

She looked beautiful, like she always did. It pained me slightly to see her as she was, to see her as a vampire. But I knew that I would prefer it over a Bella that would no longer be with me. I was selfish.

But she looked at me with shining mahogany eyes, and I knew that I made the right choice, that she agreed with me that I made the right choice.

"Ready?" I asked.

She answered with a quick nod and I could tell that she was nervous. We all were on our first hunting trip.

We leaped across the river and ran through the forest, the trees speeding by us at a blur. I began to slow and felt her begin to slow her pace too.

"Close your eyes Bella." I said. She did so though I could see the hint of confusion in her features.

"Now what do you smell? And what do you hear?" I asked her.

She stood still for another few seconds before answering. "Deer." She said with a slight smile on her lips, obviously proud of herself.

"Now just follow your instincts." I whispered.

She stood with her eyes closed for a second before snapping them open. Her eyes were dark and I could tell she was beginning to really feel the burn in the back of her throat. She took off running through the trees, a blur that was a force to be reckoned with.

I followed discreetly behind her as she pounced on a large buck and began to drink from it. It was so… sexy. When she looked up, she had a drop of blood that was beginning to run down her lips. She reached out with her tongue, capturing it and savoring it.

She grinned and looked up at me. "So, how'd I do?"

"Great." Was all I could stutter out.

-:-

We arrived back home after feeding. She seemed very… hyper. And Alice-like. She was probably on a high from her hunting expedition. And the fact that she wasn't tired and would never be.

"So Edward, how'd it go?" Carlisle asked once we stepped inside. Alice and Rosalie whisked Bella off to do something. Probably something that involved a mascara wand and screaming.

"Good .She seemed perfectly fine." I said. Carlisle nodded.

"Did you expect anything different?" I asked. Was he expecting a disaster/ for her to attack an innocent human?

_No no. It's just that her healing power, as it appears to be, if she was freaked out by it or something. _He answered in his mind.

My eyebrows furrowed. I never really thought about her healing powers when she was hunting. And when I disposed of the deer's body, the two holes where Bella had sucked its blood from were still there.

"Oh. The puncture wounds were still there." I replied in hushed tones. I knew that Alice would keep Bella preoccupied enough that she wouldn't eavesdrop on our conversation but I couldn't take any chances. Everyone in the house could hear our conversation now. No privacy.

Carlisle nodded his head up and down slowly. "We'll figure it out son." Before he left to his study to research more about it. But I also caught one thought that I knew he was trying to hide. But it was just that one word that was enough to set me on edge.

Volturi.

BPOV

Alice dragged me upstairs to give me a makeover.

"Alice, I thought that since I was a vampire now that I wouldn't _need_ a makeover!" I whined. I really didn't want to go through with a makeover. I'd rather spend the time with Edward.

"Bella, you never needed a makeover. Ever. But it's fun. And you should have time to get used to your new self." She replied cheerily.

I groaned. "Alice I don't need to become acquainted with my new self. I don't care. I just want to spend time with Edward." I complained.

"Bella, you have eternity to do that. You don't have eternity to become acquainted with your new face for the first time. Now sit!" she commanded.

I sighed in defeat. Even though I was stronger I knew that she would win. She always did.

She smiled, noticing that I had given up. She pulled out the mascara wand as I sat down for the next few hours of tutore.

When she had finally finished one hour and a half later, I was bored out of my mind. And I was kind of thirsty. Maybe I'd need to try a carnivore next time… maybe a mountain lion, which were Edward's favorite. Or a grizzly bear, which were Emmett's.

"Hey Alice, what's your favorite animal to snack on?"

"I don't really have a favorite, but I guess panthers. And Rosalie's favorite is the leopard. She says it tastes as good as it looks on her." Alice responded, smirking.

I shuddered. I really didn't need to know that.

"Oh and by the way Bella. If you had resisted before I pulled out the mascara want, you would have won." She chirped out before skipping out of the room. I growled in annoyance.

An hour and half of my life. Wasted. Gone. But then I thought of the time I had. And eternity. And eternity to spend with Edward and my new family.

APOV

I half skipped, half ran out of the room that Bella was in. Jazzy would protect me if Bella decided to kill me for taking advantage of her. I quickly checked into the future.

Never mind. All clear.

I still ran to Jasper's study where he was reading yet another one of those stuffy books on the Civil War. I didn't see how he could waste so much time reading about boring, unimportant things like that. I at least spent my time doing productive things, like making fun of the new dress that Versace made, or the new shoes that Mark Jacobs made.

I froze in my tracks just as I was about to open the door to the study.

_Strawberry blonde hair. Tanya. Blonde hair. Irina. _

I didn't need to look further than that; I knew what it meant. The Denali sisters.

"Edward!" I shouted. The door to the study flew open while I heard cussing below me. This next week was going to be a joy.

JPOV

I was deeply immersed in a book about the Confederate Army, knowing that I was really going to enjoy this weekend. Bella was a vampire, very well controlled for her status, when I heard Alice call Edward's name from the other side of the door. I could feel her disappointment and irritation. And Edward's.

"What is it Alice?" did I need to whisk her away to somewhere safe? Was my family in danger?

"Um…" she seemed to deliberate whether or not to tell me.

"You can tell me. Is everyone all right?"

She mumbled something that I couldn't understand.

"What?"

I could feel her reluctance radiating from her.

"The Denali clan's coming." she mumbled again, but this time I heard it. Just barely. But I still heard it.

Yes, I did need to whisk her away to somewhere safe. The Denali clan always meant trouble.

-:-

Edward had called a family meeting downstairs. Everyone seemed worried and confused. Except for Alice, who was irritated and pissed. She really didn't like Tanya or Irina. They were always flirting with us Cullen men. I knew it was harmless and that they didn't mean anything by it, but the Cullen women always got so jealous.

"Now, nothing dangerous is going to happen." Edward started, hoping to calm everyone's frazzled nerves. We never called family meetings unless it was something really important. And we all knew that we needed to act human and no one had killed someone recently, so the only thing that was left was if he was leaving or something dangerous was going to happen.

Alice snorted. "I beg to differ." She muttered.

Edward glared at her but she stared back defiantly. I loved my little Alice. She made up for her small size with her amazing personality.

"As I was saying, nothing dangerous is going to happen. And no, I am not leaving. We're going to have some visitors."

Carlisle tensed up immediately. He thought that Edward was talking about the Volturi. Edward winced. Ah that was probably a sore subject for him right now, wondering whether or not they were going to come and take Bella.

I felt fear begin to come off of him in waves, so I sent waves of calm back at him. I should never had brought it up.

"The Denali clan has decided to visit." He said slowly.

Alice, Rosalie, Bella and Es me immediately tensed up. I guess Edward had already filled Bella in about them.

But Emmett just laughed while Carlisle looked only a little uncomfortable. And a little disapproving too.

"Now Edward, you know that they aren't that bad."

Four pairs of eyes, all glaring, looked right at him.

I cleared my throat. "If they aren't 'al the bad' then why are you feeling so uncomfortable?" I asked him.

I raised my eyebrows while I waited for him to respond. He looked around the room, obviously uncomfortable form being in the spotlight. He announced that he had some research that the needed to do, before jumping up and dashing to his office.

That's what I thought. I thought smugly.

"So, whose up for a family vacation?" Bella asked.

"I am." We all said.

Except for Alice, who said "Too late."

The doorbell rang and all our heads whipped towards the door, which soon swung open.

"Carlisle honey! We're home!" a high pitched voice that didn't belong to my Alice squealed .

The girls glared at them while Carlisle descended the stairs, trying to hide his discomfort.

"Carmen, Elzear, Kate. Nice to see you. And you too, of course, Tanya, Irina." He nodded in their direction, grimacing slightly.

Tanya, the one who had loudly announced their presence, threw her arms around him. "Nice to see you Carlisle!" she said.

Esme and the girls growled.

And to think, I was looking forward to this weekend.

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	53. It's a Pleasure to Have You Here

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Esme and the girls growled.

And to think, I was looking forward to this weekend.

**Chapter 53: It's a Pleasure to Have you Here**

BPOV

Edward had told me a little about this Tanya person who was like family. He was obviously uncomfortable around her, but now I was I saw why. All the girls seemed to be a little… showy and very confident around men.

I put on a sickly sweet smile to match a sickly sweet voice. "Hey Tanya, it's so nice to meet you! I'm Bella, Edward's girlfriend." I held out my hand for her to shake which she took. I gave her hand a little squeeze that was a warning to stay away from Edward.

"Bella! It's nice to meet you! Kate and Carmen have been keeping in touch with you Cullens and she told me about how they met you! So, how do you like the perks about being a vampire?" she asked. She actually seemed genuinely curious.

But I wasn't buying it. I had territory to protect. "It's nice. I like the fact that I can hear and see everything. And the super strength, I can crush anything." I said, adding a less than subtle hint to my words.

She either chose to ignore it or she was didn't get it. Both choices said that she was extremely stupid.

"That's good! I remember my first days as a vampire. It felt like everything was cloudy before and that now you can finally see, finally breath, you know? I've gained so much experience through my years as a vampire!" she exclaimed.

My eyes narrowed on their own accord. Was she trying to imply something?

"That's nice Tanya, but we all know how much _experience_ you have." Rosalie said, glaring.

Tanya looked taken aback.

I decided to change the subject. "So, Kate, Irina, Carmen, and Elzear! Nice to finally meet you!"

The Cullens had talked about them a lot.

"You too Bella! As Tanya said, the Cullens talk about you a lot." Kate said.

"Ah and when were you changed?" a bored voice came out from behind her. I looked over and saw a woman with white-blonde hair stepping out from behind Kate.

"Quite recently." I replied coldly.

She smirked. "Yes, that's quite obvious by the red eyes that you have. It was either that you were a _newborn_ or an amateur at working at your self control. It matters not. I'm sure the Cullens accept your red eyes nonetheless. Even though it goes against everything that they work for." Irina said.

I knew that if I was human, I would be very red in the face. From anger.

I wanted to punch the living daylight out of her. Who did she think she was?

Edward cleared his throat nervously. "Well, it's er, nice to have you here ladies, and gentleman. May I inquire as to how long you're staying?"

Irina cackled. "Of course you can Edward! Such a polite young man! We plan on staying for just a week, if that's alright with you? We'd love to stay longer, but you know us busy girls! Friends to meet, things to do." She said.

I coughed. "People to do."

Everyone except for Carlisle and the Denali's snickered.

Irina narrowed her eyes. "It's nice to know that you still retain all your manners from your time Edward. Seems like teenagers these days need a serious lesson in manners." She locked eyes with me, glaring.

I glared right back at her. "If you mean by manners that I don't try to give every guy that I meet 'the best night of his life' then I'm glad to say that I don't have any manners. I didn't know that when I met someone I was supposed to do more than shake their hand and make small talk."

She gasped. "Are you implying something you little brat?"

"Why no, where'd you get that idea? I'm not implying anything. I'm saying it." She looked astonished that anyone would speak to her that way. I smiled back at her. "Now, as much as I'd love to stay and talk, my family and I have some business to attend to." And I turned around, ready to go upstairs, with Alice and Rosalie snickering into their hands besides me.

"You mean your funeral?"

I whipped around. She had no right at all to bring that up. But I was curious. I never really thought much about my funeral. When was it? "What are you talking about?"

She smirked, glad that she knew something that I didn't. "Oh, well your funeral starts in half an hour. I thought you knew. My mistake." She said, looking very smug.

"You probably forgot that I didn't know. It's okay, I take pity on you. Being as old as you are, it must be hard to remember these things. No worries, it just means you're a special vampire. That's what you wanted all along right? Now, you must excuse me again." I shot back before walking up the stairs. "Oh, and Edward? Would you like to join me in my room? I have to talk to you about something. Tell you a few things… you know. The usual. And some things are just so _hard_ to do by myself." I said suggestively.

He looked confused at first before understanding lit his eyes. "Of course love. There's nothing I'd rather do than join you and help you. Wouldn't want you to feel lonely now would we?"

Irina looked like she wanted to kill me. She probably did. But I knew that the Cullens would kill her first, so I wasn't worried. Edward followed me upstairs with a smile playing on his features.

When we reached his room, he pulled me into a kiss. "I love you so much Bella." He said before covering my lips with his again.

"Let's get out of here." I breathed out, my breaths coming in and out quickly. Just because I didn't need oxygen didn't mean that I didn't still breath.

He took my hand and we jumped out of his window for the second time that day.

-:-

Our tongues were in war against each other, battling for dominance. He pulled back and began to talk.

"That was epic Bella. No one's ever talked to Irina like that." Edward said, bring my hand up to his lips.

"Thanks. She sounded, and looked like, she deserved a lashing."

"But Tanya's really not that bad. She seems a little forward, but she's not a bad person. I will admit that she used to and kind of still does, have a small crush on me, but she's not going to try and tear us apart. She's happy that I found someone to make me happy." He said sternly.

I sighed. I knew that he wanted me to apologize to her without saying it outright. "Ok, fine. I'll apologize to her Edward. But I can't help but feel a little threatened. There she is, an experienced vampire, and here I am, an amateur, newborn vampire. I was on the defense." I defended myself. And I was talking about more than experience being a vampire.

"Don't worry about it love. There's no competition. And she's strawberry blonde. Not at all my type." He chuckled.

I thought about it for a minute. I didn't want to seem like one of those jealous, insecure girlfriends, but I was a little jealous and I was a little insecure.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love _you_, Bella. Now, where were we?"

And then we began where we left off.

-:-

Twenty minutes later, I remember what Irina had said about my funeral. Why hadn't Edward told me about it?

I pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "Edward, do you know anything about my funeral that Irina was talking about?"

He looked frustrated and ran his hand through his hair. "I was hoping you wouldn't remember what she said."

I glared at him. "Why would you try to keep that from me Edward?"

"Bella, I didn't want you to have to go to your own funeral. It's not exactly the epitome of fun. And I was afraid. That you'd realize what you were leaving behind regret your decision. I'm sorry Bella." He was looking down.

I put a finger underneath his chin. "Edward, I love you and would never leave you. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead right now. And I wouldn't choose that over you for anything. But I really do wish you had told me about it. I kind of want to go." I said the last part softly.

He looked me in the eyes for a minute before nodding his head slowly. "Okay. But we're going to have to hide in the trees."

I shook my head. "Edward, you should be there. And be noticed. I mean, you _were _my boyfriend. And Alice was my best friend. And Emmett my big brother. And so was Jasper. And Rosalie was my big sister/ mother. And Esme and Carlisle were like my second parents. You know, we should all go. I'll just wear… sunglasses or contacts and we can pretend that I'm your half sister or something."

He was shaking his head. "It's too dangerous Bella. The blood, the humans. No Bella. You know, you shouldn't even go."

"But Edward! I really want to! And I have a right you know. It's _my_ funeral after all. And I can just hold my breath, be your must half sister!" I exclaimed, proud of my idea.

"No Bella."

"Edward!" I whined. I really wanted to go, no matter how morbid it sounded.

"Bella." He sounded exasperated.

"Let's ask Alice and see if anything's going to happen. Race you back to the house!" I shouted before taking off.

"Bella!" he shouted after me.

I giggled, looking behind my back, as I ran towards the house.

I won.

-:-

We were all set to go, with my dark brown contacts in and our mourning clothes on. Alice had said nothing was going to happen, and I trusted her. Edward would stop me if anything was going to happen too.

He wasn't too happy that Alice had sided with me, but it was my funeral after all and I had a right to go. He was lucky that I wasn't completely pissed at him for keeping it from him.

"All ready?" Alice asked.

We nodded. The Denalis were just going to stay at home while we went to my funeral. It would be too weird if we brought too many people that didn't know the dead person that was lying in the casket at the moment.

"By the way, what's in the casket?" I asked Edward as it was brought to mind.

"It's empty." He said, his lips pressed together.

"What's wrong Edward?" I asked quietly.

"It's just… hard. To go to your funeral. I wish I could have stopped that disease and allowed you to be human. Sometimes, I think that there was surely more that I could do."

I pressed one of my fingers against his lips. "Shh Edward. Don't think like that. I love you. I'm happy. And I don't regret my decision one bit."

He closed his eyes but nodded, kissing my finger. I smiled and brought my finger to my side.

I closed my eyes and straightened up. I put my black hat on and opened my eyes, drawing in an unneeded breath.

"Alright, let's go to my funeral."

**So Irina's the bad guy. And I'm sad to say that the story is most definitely coming to an end soon. I'm working on Chapter 57 and debating whether or not to make it my last chapter :( **

**And please review!**


	54. The Funeral

**So, the order of funeral is: park gathering, putting the casket in the ground, then the guest can go home. It's how my grandma's funeral was, so I'm going to do it like that too. **

**Also, I really felt that the Cullens should be at her funeral and Bella really wanted to go to her funeral, but they couldn't leave her by herself. So… she held her breath like the good little newborn she was.**

**And thanks to all my reviewers!!!**

**AND SEMI-IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE BOTTOM CONCERNING THE **UPDATE SCHEDULE!!**

I closed my eyes and straightened up. I put my black hat on and opened my eyes, drawing in an unneeded breath.

"Alright, let's go to my funeral."

Chapter 54: The Funeral

BPOV

My funeral was being held outside at the park. A large tent was set up where a table with food and refreshments were set up. A lot of people were milling around. I was surprised by the outcome. I didn't even know that I knew that many people.

And then I saw Renee. She looked heartbroken, but also peaceful at the same time. She was dressed in black with the veil drawn over her face.

When she spotted us, she slowly walked over. On closer view, I saw that her eyes were red and puffy, but she still looked at peace with herself. Since my air supply was cut off, and would be for a long while, her closeness didn't bother me at all.

"Cullens! Thank you so much for showing. You were always so good to her. I'm sure she would be glad that you came." She said evenly. I could tell that her composure was breaking when she saw us.

"She loved you all so much. Especially you Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. She really saw you as a second pair of parents. And Edward, she was always so happy after spending the day with you." she sniffled. "And Rose, you took such good care of her! I'm so glad that you called me too. I feel… so much more at peace, knowing that I did everything that I could before she…. Passed away. I was being so selfish by trying to detach myself from her. I'm forever grateful."

Wait, what did she mean by a phone call? Rose called her? About me? I'd have to talk to her later.

"We're so sorry for your loss Renee. Although, it's a loss to everyone. She was such a kind, caring, intelligent person and the world will surely miss her." Carlisle said. "Do you know what you're going to do now?"

She tried to smile but couldn't, so she gave up. "I think I'm going to stay here. I've been going over to La Push lately and have made good friends with Sue Clearwater. She's such a sweet person."

I was struck with fear at first. La Push? I hoped that those stupid dogs wouldn't change in front of her and hurt her. If they did…

But then I remembered that creatures such a vampires and werewolves weren't supposed to exist and were supposed to remain in the shadows. Jacob and his pack wouldn't hurt her. And she wouldn't know about them. So she'd be safe.

And then Renee's eyes fell one me. And the fact that I was standing next to Edward. She probably thought that he had moved on already.

"Renee, this is my half sister, Isabel. She comes from France and is visiting family to learn better English." Jasper said quickly.

"Oh, nice to meet you Isabel. I'm sorry to meet you on such unfortunate circumstances, but a pleasure all the same."

I nodded and looked down. I felt a pang of pain and sadness I was going to miss Renee so much.

"Well, I best be going. Thanks for coming. Will you be coming to the cemetery?"

Carlisle nodded, taking her hands in his cold ones. He gave them a squeeze. "Once again, I'm sorry for your loss." He said.

I watched as Renee turned to leave. But I couldn't just watch my mother walk away. I wanted to touch her one last time. I threw my arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

She was startled at first, I could tell. Edward cleared his throat. "Sorry for our sister. She's French and doesn't quite understand English traditions. I'm sorry." He said.

"It's quite alright dear." She said and I felt her hug me back. I smiled and pulled away, taking my place again at Edward's arm. No one reprimanded me because that was going to be the last time I saw my mother.

She wouldn't want to hang around with Esme and Carlisle- too many memories. So I said good bye to her for the last time.

EPOV

I was so proud of Bella. She was doing so well. I knew that it would be hard for her to be here, even if she was holding her breath. As a new born, all they could think about was blood.

But Bella was doing an amazing job, just as I knew she would.

I knew that if she could cry, she would. Bella had to say good bye to her mom.

We were moving in two weeks. Away from Forks. Away from her mom.

"Come on Edward, Isabel. Time for the ceremony." Alice called. I nodded and took Bella's arm as we got into our cars, driving the short distance to the Forks ceremony.

Goodbye human Bella.

BPOV

I stood over the empty casket, looking around at the people present. Mike, Tyler, Eric, and Angela from school. I guess my mom didn't want to invite Jessica or Laruen. I was glad she didn't. Although as to why she invited Mike, Tyler and Eric, I didn't know.

The Clearwaters, Billy Black, and then a lot of people I didn't know.

Someone cleared their throat and we all looked up. "Friends and family, we are gathered here on this day at Forks cemetery to commemorate the passing of our beloved friend Isabella Swan. She was a kind and caring person who blessed all with her presence and beautiful soul… She was unfortunately cursed with cardiac cancer and has been passed to God's care at the young age of 16. She will be dearly missed. But she will never be truly gone, because she will be in our hearts, but also, she will be in Heaven, watching over us." The priest said.

He probably said more about me but I had tuned him out. I didn't care to know about what was said. I just wanted one last look at my mom, before we left. I didn't know that it was going to be this hard to say good byes. But I should have. Goodbyes were always hard.

-:-

When we arrived home, Irina, Kate, and Tanya had all crashed on the sofa, watching TV on the big plasma. Carmen and Elzear were off somewhere, probably doing something that I did not care to see.

I cleared my throat nervously, preparing myself to talk to Tanya.

"Tanya? Mind if I speak to you? Alone?" I asked timidly.

All three heads whipped around. Irina glared, Tanya looked curious, while Kate looked thoroughly amused.

Tanya nodded her head, even though Irina attempted holding her back, claiming that I was dangerous. I didn't think I was.

I led her into the kitchen and nervously fiddled with my necklace.

"What is it Bella?" she asked, but not in a rude tone; she was simply curious and she really sounded like she cared. I felt guilty for what I said before, even more guilty than before.

"Tanya, I'd like to apologize. I'm sorry for what I said early; it was out of line. I was just jealous, but that's no excuse for what I had said. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

She smiled kindly at me. "Don't worry about it Bella. Of course you're forgiven. I'm really glad that you make Edward happy and him you. You both deserve it. And don't worry, I won't encroach on your territory. You have nothing to worry about." She said brightly.

I smiled back. She really was a nice person. "Thanks Tanya."

She nodded once more before heading back into the living room when she stopped and turned back.

"Oh and Bella? Don't worry about Irina. She's a nice person but she's just trying to stick up for me since you've 'stole my man.' Truthfully, I think she's got a thing for your _boyfriend_."

She said the word boyfriend as if she was unsure of what to call him. She knew we were going out, was she implying more? I was about to ask her when Irina's voice snapped out from the living room.

"Tanya!"

We giggled before she left towards the living room and I outside. I wanted to go out and get some fresh air. And maybe look around my old house.

Edward was at my side instantly. "Bella, I think you should wait to go to your house until another day. You've gone through enough for today and I'm not sure if you should take on so much." He said as he took my hand.

Maybe I should listen to him. Maybe I shouldn't. Should I tackle all this in one day or wait until tomorrow?

"How about tonight?" I suggested.

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "Bella, I don't want you to have to test your control too much. And, Carlisle's been aching to check out your power."

"Tonight it is." When I saw he was about to protest, I held up my hand. "Come on Edward, we should go. Let's go to our meadow."

He sighed again and followed me, but we both knew that that conversation wasn't over yet.

APOV

I squealed the second they were out of earshot.

Rosalie turned to look at me, confusion and exasperation etched into her beautiful features.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

She glared. "Okay, okay, I'll spill. Guess who's going to cross the line between boyfriend/ boyfriend and lovers?"

She gasped. "No! He's supposed to be a chivalrous, old-fashioned guy! Not some creeper who, who, rapes poor unsuspecting girls!" she cried.

I raised my eyebrows. "Rosalie. First of all, it's commonly known that things can 'get out of hand' in the heat of passion. You should know. Especially you and Emmett. God knows that we hear you enough to all be familiar with it. Secondly, they. Are. Dating. Boyfriend and girlfriend. It's consensual. Not rape. It's not like it's really planned either and she can't get pregnant."

Rose was practically hyper ventilating by now. "Rosalie Lillian Hale! Stop that right now!"

I noticed that everyone was there, except for, of course, Edward and Bella, who were off frolicking in their little meadow.

"Oh dear! I hope she's okay! A girl's first time is never pleasant, but Edward's a caring gentleman. I hope he doesn't hurt her! But she is a vampire now. My little boy, and girl, are growing up!" Esme cried, putting a hand over her heart. I almost snorted but I refrained. Barely.

"What about that 'waiting for marriage' crap that he kept spewing to us? Huh?" Emmett boomed, clearly a little pissed.

"It's not like they plan on consummating their relationship! Things happen! And she can take care of herself you know." I explained.

"But she's still my little sister! No matter what species! He should have talked to us first! I could give him some tips about what really makes them scream." He was quickly backtracking from the glare from his wife. "Not that I would know that without the wonderful and loving help from my stunningly gorgeous wife."

She smirked and turned back to look at me. "Are you sure?"

I started to nod when a new vision appeared.

_Bella and Edward were passionately kissing on the ground of their meadow when Bella cried out. She 'looked' towards the view point of my vision and I saw her eyes. Wide eyes in a pale face. Wide, chocolate brown eyes. _

_Human._

I wasn't sure what to do. I could let them continue and wait for Bella to come home as a human, or I could stop them now to let them be prepared. Or maybe my vision was just wrong.

"Yup." I said, popping the 'p' before returning to my Vogue magazine. Drew Barrymore always wore really cute dresses.

**Okay, so most know how hard freshman year of HS is right? And for SS we have to make up 4 skits per group about the French Revolution. Using ancient books. So I haven't really had time to work on Chapter 58.**

*****CHAPTER 58 WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER!! (unless I want an epilogue) Sorry to all of you who don't want this story to end! **

**WITH THAT SAID, I MUST FINSIH CHAPTER 58 BEFORE I CAN POST IT (OBVIOUSLY). BUT THAT'S ONLY 4 CHAPTERS AWAY. **

******MY UPDATES WILL BE LESS FREQUENT. I want to be finished with Chapter 58 before I post chapter 57. So there will more than likely NOT be another update this week until Saturday. Sorry!! **

**And thanks for being such awesome reviewers! I remembered to add a preview this time! **

**Chapter 55: TMI-**

_"Now, what exactly were you two doing when this… change occurred?" _

_Alice giggled while Edward looked embarrassed. _

_"Edward, please tell me you two weren't—"_

_"No! Of course not Carlisle! We were simply… kissing." He mumbled. _

_"Yeah, with you laying on top of her with your hand up her shirt." Alice chimed in. _

_Awkward much? Please leave a review!_


	55. TMI

**So I got a lot of comments on the preview lol. And thanks to all of you who commented about not wanting this story to end. But alas, everything must come to an end. And I know I'm going to miss opening my inbox to a bunch of reviews; I'm definitely going to miss it. **

**I don't think I'm going to do a sequel though. Although I might work on another story, finish it, then post it. **

I wasn't sure what to do. I could let them continue and wait for Bella to come home as a human, or I could stop them now to let them be prepared. Or maybe my vision was just wrong.

"Yup." I said, popping the 'p' before returning to my Vogue magazine. Drew Barrymore always wore really cute dresses.

**Chapter 55: TMI**

BPOV

I smiled against Edward's chest that was the same temperature as me for the first time. Normally, I felt like he was so cold. Now, he felt so warm.

"I'm so proud of you Bella." He said into my hair.

"Me too." I joked. But I was proud of myself. Not all newborns could go into a place packed with people and survive. Well, no attack all the poor, innocent humans.

I giggled.

"What?" Edward asked.

"Oh nothing. Just that I'm thinking of everyone else as a poor little human when I was one a few hours ago."

"Yes, yes you were." Edward said, his voice torn between excitement and regret.

I sighed and turned around to face him. He was sitting there with his eyes closed and jaw clenched. I knew what he was thinking about. I placed my hand on his cheek, cupping his face, until he opened his eyes.

"Edward. I'm glad. I'm happy. Now you should be too." Was all I said before I was kissing him.

He responded after he got over ht initial shock. Then he pressed me into the ground, laying on top of me. I felt the waves of passion, love, and lust. I felt the fire burn inside of me. And I knew it burned inside of him too.

His hand slipped up my shirt to lay on my belly, caressing the smooth skin there. It felt good. The same temperature so it wouldn't be uncomfortable. But I knew it wouldn't be uncomfortable. I knew the feeling of Edward's skin, cold, would feel amazing against my stomach if it was warm. It was human.

I quickly shook the thought from my head. What was I thinking? I loved being a vampire. I loved the explosion of my senses, of the ability to feel, hear, and see everything.

I could feel the groan building in Edward's throat. I could see every beautiful part of Edward's beautiful hair. I could hear the grumble, every velvety covered sound, that Edward made, each one just as beautiful as the one before.

I threw myself into the kiss, biting down softly on his lip. He smirked against my lips and returned it, just as gently. And then I cried out.

Edward's smugness quickly turned to worry.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

He had rolled off of me and we were both breathing deeply. But the biggest difference was that he didn't need the oxygen. I did. Damn that human heart.

CPOV

Two figures came running into my study, both breathless. But I didn't notice who it was at first. Because one had a heartbeat. One had the smell of warm blood. And both were shouting at the same time, Bella nearly hysteric, Edward very confused.

I held up my hands, standing up. "Stop! I can't understand both of you at the same time."

They quieted. As I opened my mouth to speak, the rest of the family burst in.

"A heartbeat? It can't be!"

"My vision was true?"

"I should go hunting soon."

"Do I have my daughter back?"

"QUIET!" I said, well shouted, again.

"I can't understand all of you at the same time." I repeated.

"I wasn't talking though!" Emmett shouted. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Sorry dad."

I nodded and ran my hand through my hair, something I had picked up from Edward.

"Now, let's look at this situation as calmly as possible. Edward, Bella. Tell me what happened."

"I don't know Carlisle!" Bella wailed, distraught.

I sent a look over to Jasper, who nodded and sent a wave of calm throughout the air.

"Now, what exactly were you two doing when this… change occurred?"

Alice giggled while Edward looked embarrassed.

"Edward, please tell me you two weren't—"

"No! Of course not Carlisle! We were simply… kissing." He mumbled.

"Yeah, with you laying on top of her with your hand up her shirt." Alice chimed in.

My eyebrows shot up. I knew that they were going to… do the deed sometime, but thinking of Bella, my little daughter in a sense, making love with anyone... It almost hurt. I wanted Bella to stay as the young, naïve 16-year old she was. Not grow up and become a woman.

"Carlisle, you know that's not fair!" Edward burst out, breaking me from my thoughts. "She's been grown up. And it's not like everyone else in the house doesn't do it. She knows about it. We both do."

I just scowled. I knew Edward was right. But Bella was so young… I didn't want her corrupted. Not yet. If ever.

"Carlisle!"

"So, then what happened?"

"I feel like you're interviewing us for a murder or something." Edward mumbled under his breath before answering. "I bit down on her lip and she cried out, so I uh, rolled off of her and we tried to catch our breathes, and then her heart just started… beating."

I nodded, keeping my face blank. "Bella?"

"I have nothing to add Carlisle. All I remember is feeling a rush of… warmth or something and then I needed the oxygen."

"Maybe it had something to do with your thoughts?" Alice piped up.

I really didn't want to go there. That's why I didn't want to ask that question. But maybe it would be useful.

Bella flushed a little, a light pink tingeing her cheeks.

"Nothing much. Just what it would feel like if Edward's hand was cold instead of the same temperature. Because you know, it was warm and I was wondering if the temperature difference would have any effect." She whispered quietly into the air.

Too much information. As the kids said it, TMI.

Edward snorted. "I do not say that!"

I shrugged. Sure he didn't.

APOV

"Back to the matter at hand Carlisle!" I could see that he and Edward were about to get into a silly little argument about the word TNI. That was so unlike Carlisle. The curiosity and stress was probably getting to him.

"Yes, so… that could be the cause. Now Bella, think… vampire thoughts." He said excitedly.

Vampire thought? Really?

"Don't!" Rose cried.

She wanted Bella to stay human.

"I can always change back Rose." She said before closing her eyes.

"Vampire thoughts, vampire thoughts." She muttered.

And…. Nothing. She furrowed her eyebrow, as if thinking harder. She held her breath and tried again. As if that was going to help.

She finally released it. Good. She looked kind of constipated when she held it…

Edward glared at me but I knew him so well that he was embarrassed by that thought. That would require him to think about Bella's—

"Alice!" he said.

I smirked.

"Nothing." Bella said. "So, which one of you wants to bite me?"

None of us volunteered. We all kind of preferred this Bella. Human.

"No one? Was I that bad of a vampire?" she whimpered, her bottom lip trembling.

"No! You were great Bella. It's just that… it's better if you stayed human." Rosalie explained; she was clearly relieved. She could have her baby girl back. Her human baby girl.

"You know Rose baby, if you took that first sentence out of context then it—"

"Emmett!" Edward and Rose said at the same time.

He pouted. The big teddy bear would never learn. But I loved my big brother anyway.

Bella yawned, still disappointed. "I'm going to go to _sleep_." She spat out the word as if it was evil. I guess to her it was.

We heard her trudge up the stairs and collapse in Edward's bed.

"Now Edward, don't get any ideas." I said, chuckling a little to myself.

He growled at me before following her. "Edward! I'm serious!"

"Shut up Alice!"

I shut my mouth, laughing the whole time. He could be such a sour puss sometimes.

BPOV

I didn't feel like sleeping. Well, I did. I was tired. But I didn't want to have to sleep. I didn't want to be tired. I wanted to be a vampire. Invincible.

Edward wanted me to sleep but I was being stubborn and refused. So he sat next to me, stroking my hair and face while I thought. And sulked. And pouted. But the temperature difference did feel good.

I decided to think about the meadow instead. What would have happened if I hadn't turned into a stinking human? How far would Edward and I have gone? But I already knew the answer. All the way. So much for the 'wait for marriage' speech he gave me. But then again, it wasn't like I wasn't ready. I was so ready to give myself to Edward.

I leaned against the headboard of the bed and continued to pout. I knew he'd wait until I was a vampire to make love to me. Now I'd have to wait that much longer. If they ever turned me into a vampire again.

We had taken sides. They, and me. Me, the sole person wanting me to be a vampire, and they, the whole family against it. And me. Urg! Life was so unfair!

"Stop pouting Bella! It'll happen sooner than you think!" Alice shouted up to me.

What would happen sooner than I thought? Becoming a vampire again? Or making love to Edward?

I was about to ask when I felt a sudden burn pass through my body. A flash of fire.

I felt myself gasp, my eyes close, before opening. Opening to the bright world before me. I felt my heart shudder to a stop and all traces of tiredness leave my body.

Yes! One point _me_, zero points _them_!

**I will not be able to finish chapter 58 this weekend because I have a lot of HW and I have to finish a boring History book for a book review next week. Sorry!**

**Preview from chapter 56: A Guardian Ghost**

_"Bella—" he started again but I cut him off. _

_"Edward, I'm going with or without you or your approval. Now be quiet and drive or talk about something positive and drive. Even when I was a human I didn't drive this slow. Afraid we're going to crash or something?" _

_He reached out a hand and stroked my cheek. "Love, I have excellent reflexes."_

**please review!**


	56. A Guardian Ghost

**Still swamped down with work :(**

**But thanks so much to all of you who reviewed!**

I felt myself gasp, my eyes close, before opening. Opening to the bright world before me. I felt my heart shudder to a stop and all traces of tiredness leave my body.

Yes! One point to me, zero points to them!

**Chapter 56: A Guardian Ghost**

BPOV

"Goodbye Tanya! Elzear! Carmen! Irina! Kate!" I waved goodbye to them as they left. Finally.

"About time…" I mumbled to myself. Good riddance much. Kate and Irina were the worst. But Elzear and Carmen were pretty bad at the sounds that they were able to make. In the bedroom next to mine.

Esme had taken it upon herself to make me my own bedroom, which I greatly appreciated because it really made me feel at home there. Even if we were leaving soon. Tomorrow actually.

Carlisle was going to further observe my 'powers' in England. He was going to work at a hospital there and us younger Cullens were going to start high school again. Apparently I had to graduate before I could go to college. Edward's rules. He could be so weird sometimes. Not like I had to sleep.

I had decided to do two things today before we left. Go to my mom's house. And go to the hospital. Oh and go hunting.

I slipped into a pair of skinny jeans and a blouse. I grabbed a black jacket from New York & Company on my way out for appearances. It was April, but still slightly chilly. For humans.

I was just going to run the 15 minute drive to my old house to see how it was. How it had changed.

The front was the same as usual, but I hadn't expected that to change. Crawling through the third story window, I peered inside. My eyes widened.

Boxes. Moving boxes. My mom was moving? She couldn't be! She wouldn't. Would she?

I looked at the address on one to see where she was moving to.

_1576 Windmill Ave. _

_La Push, WA_

So she was staying in Washington. La Push was only 15 minutes away from Forks too. At least she was moving on.

I heard voices downstairs as people began to enter the house. I jumped out and ran out of the house. My control of my blood lust wasn't good enough for me to be able to be in the same room as them without having hunted recently.

While I ran through the woods towards the Cullens', well my, house, I felt grateful about my control. It was amazing for a newborn. It was probably because I was so dedicated to the life of feeding on animals versus humans. I remembered being a human and I knew that I couldn't suck on dry.

I sprang upon a deer, feeling the warm liquid make its way down my throat, dulling the fire. Disposing of the carcass and brushing myself off, I ran through the Cullens' well, my, house- I really needed to get used to that- and grabbed a pair of brown contacts.

I put them in as I grabbed the keys to the Mercedes on my way out the door.

"Bella, should you really be going out so soon?" Edward's voice came from the doorway of the front door.

"Yup." I replied while heading towards the back door. Two could play at that game.

He was right in front of the door when I sprang towards the front, nearly making it. Nearly. As in almost. But Edward grabbed my ankle.

"Bella, I love you and I'm doing this in your best interest. You can't go out so soon. I don't want you attacking anyone because I know that the guilt will consume you after. And you can't really control everything—"

"Edward. Stop. I'll be fine. Now let go. Before I do something I'll really regret."

He still didn't let go of my ankle. "Bella, I don't want _you_ to do something you're going to regret. I know that it would kill you. Well, not in the literal sense. So I think it's best that you wait. For at least another month. Or year. But you're doing so well already, so a month will probably do it." he rambled on.

"Edward. I'm going to the cancer ward. I just want to see the other people who had the fate that I was supposed to die of. I just want to see. I need to see. And it has to be in Forks. So Edward, please let go." I pleaded with him. Even if he didn't, I'd find a way.

He seemed to fight with himself at first before curtly nodding his head. "But I'm coming with you."

"Fine." I replied angrily. Just because I was a newborn didn't mean that I was going to attack everyone at the hospital.

Once we were in the car and Edward in the driver's seat, the car humming beneath us, Edward started talking. Trying to dissuade me. He was even driving the speed limit.

"Bella, you do know there'll be open vials of blood and fluids. Maybe it'd be best if you waited or went—"

"No. I'll hold my breath. I'm simply looking." I answered. He could be so infuriating!

"Bella—" he started again but I cut him off.

"Edward, I'm going with or without you or your approval. Now be quiet and drive or talk about something positive and drive. Even when I was a human I didn't drive this slow. Afraid we're going to crash or something?"

He reached out a hand and stroked my cheek. "Love, I have excellent reflexes."

-:-

When we finally arrived at the hospital, it was 6:45. Visitor hours were probably going to end soon.

"Bella, what exactly do you want to do here?" Edward asked.

I shrugged. I really had no idea. Alice mentioned something about the hospital and it intrigued my interest. I wanted to go. And here I was.

I walked towards the reception and looked at the sign.

"May I help you?" and elderly looking nurse asked, her eyes roaming over Edward.

"Yes, can you tell me where the cancer ward is?" I asked politely while tearing her apart limb from limb in my mind. Nobody looked at my Edward that way.

"Go up the elevator to floor 4 and then take a left." She said curtly, still drinking Edward in.

"Thanks." I said before taking Edward's hand and leading him towards the elevators.

"You have no idea what she was thinking Bella! She was old! Old enough to be my grandmother! Well, if I was human." Edward complained.

I smirked. "That's what you get for being so damn good looking." I said as we entered the elevator. It was empty except for the two of us.

"Oh, but I also get you, so it's all worth it." he whispered in my ear before pulling me in for a kiss against the elevator wall.

We were so absorbed in it that we almost missed the dinging of the elevator.

"Time to go." He said before pulling me off the wall. The small group of people who were waiting for the lift were staring unashamed. They obviously knew that we were just kissing/ making out against the wall. They'd have to deal with it.

And so would I. That had seriously depleted my oxygen. The oxygen I'd have to use to talk.

Edward looked smug as if that was his goal. I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Stupid amazingly smart boyfriend.

We got to the glass door that said Cancer Ward.

I closed my eyes and relaxed my body before taking my steps inside. To think that I was inside this ward only a week ago.

I entered the third door on the right. Inside was a little girl who couldn't be more than 6 and had retinoblastoma; at least that's what it said on the monitor beside her.

_Kelly, Grace._ So her first name was Grace. She looked like a Grace with the blonde locks fanned out beneath her, the pale skin and what would probably be vibrant blue eyes.

She looked so peaceful sleeping, the gentle rise and fall of her chest. I smiled absently, running my fingertips across her forehead. She was so hot! It seemed as if she had a fever.

I looked at Edward questioningly. He answered in a quiet whisper as to avoid waking her.

"She has retinoblastoma. It's when there's a cancerous tumor growing behind one of her eyes. She's going to have to get that eye removed. The fact that she has caught some type of bacterial strand isn't going to increase her chances of surviving either."

I nodded and continued to run my fingertips across her forehead. Maybe I'd be able to cool her down.

"Bella, we should go." Edward said what seemed like seconds later. I nodded slowly, not wanting to leave. There was something about this place, about this room, that made me want to stay.

"Come on Bella." Edward said, taking my hand. I squeezed it gently before exiting with him. I looked at the plaque that was on the wall next to the door, the room number and patients listed on it.

Of course it said Kelly, Grace on it, but I saw something else below it, beneath that sheet of paper. Humans wouldn't be able to see it. But I could. Those two words. That one name.

Isabella Swan.

"Let's go Edward." I whispered, officially using the rest of my oxygen. But I didn't care. I just wanted to go home, away from this place, this hospital.

-:-

EPOV

_**BREAKING NEWS: MY GUARDIAN GHOST**_

_Six-year old girl Grace Kelly was diagnosed and hospitalized with retinoblastoma during the past few months. It was determined that the girl was going to die because she was too young and her body too weak to be able to survive the most recent disease that had forced itself upon her fragile body. _

_But when she woke up yesterday, she seemed fine. When the doctors ran blood tests, it was as if she had never had that cancerous tumor in the first place; the test came out clean. She was fine. _

_It is questioned whether or not she ever had retinoblastoma in the first place, but when asked what she remembered from the day before, the answer was one the stumped all. _

"_I remember sleeping. And feeling so hot. Then I heard voices. I thought they were angels. A male and a female. They were talking about white cells or something. And then I felt something cool on my forehead. When I went back to sleep, I heard the name Bella." Kelly commented. _(**In new stories, sources/ interviewees are referred to by their last name.) **

_This may seem like any old hallucination, though Kelly believes it wasn't. "It was real. I remember the cool fingers. It was real." _

_The previous occupant of the room, room 105, was a girl by the name of Isabella Swan who had died on April 17__th__ from cardiac cancer. And her nickname? _Bella.

_So was this just some hallucination or has Bella's ghost come back to help those who are sick and dying? _

"_She's watching over me." Kelly said while nodding her head. "I owe her my life."_

_Big words for a small child, yet true nonetheless. It's not a medical miracle; it's a spirit back to help, not haunt. A guardian ghost. _

**Interesting.. lol. **

**Please review!**


	57. Memories

**Wow! Thanks for the reviews! Really!!**

**And yes, I do plan on ending this story. I've actually already finished it... Chapter 58 is 5,000 words! So yeah.... I didn't really elaborate too much on the wedding scene because I personally think that those are boring... but that's just my opinion. **

**Once again, thanks to all who've reviewed and have been really supportive!**

**And to answer some questions: **

**Yes, Bella does have healing powers and yes, Bella can change into a human but only when she thinks about wanting to be human. And it only lasts for an hour. **

_Big words for a small child, yet true nonetheless. It's not a medical miracle; it's a spirit back to help, not haunt. A guardian ghost. _

**Chapter 57: Memories **

EPOV

I didn't know whether or not to show Bella the article. I knew she would be deeply touched by the fact that had saved someone's life. But also upset over the fact that she was referred to as a ghost.

But she'd find out sooner or later, so I may as well show it to her now. I'd show it to her after the plane ride so she'd have less to worry about.

"Ready Bella?" I asked her when she came out of her room, dressed in sweats and a large sweatshirt. Alice was going to have her head.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"You won't attack anyone Bella. Don't worry." I tried to calm her because she was so worried about controlling her blood lust. But she was doing an amazing job already and I knew she'd do fine.

She bobbed her head up and down quickly. She had so little self-confidence.

"Bella! Don't tell me you're going to wear that! You can't! I knew I should have laid an outfit out for you! But I didn't because I was trying to be nice and hope that you'd change your mind last minute. Of course you didn't." Alice screeched when she was suddenly right in front of us.

"Bella, you should wear this pair of jeans with this shirt which will really define your…"

I tuned her out and started walking down the stairs. I caught Bella's glare because I had left her to the sharks-aka Alice.

Normally I would have saved her but I needed to talk to Carlisle while she was distracted and Alice had presented the perfect opportunity unknowingly.

_This is for you Edward! And Bella! Talk to Carlisle- you have 15 minutes!_ Alice thought. Maybe not so unknowingly. Alice knew everything.

I went outside to where Carlisle was packing the Mercedes with the clothes and other things that we would need for the few days in England before our stuff arrived there. We had shipped nearly everything except the furniture. Esme had already arrived in England and had decorated our new house.

"Dad? Mind if I talk to you?"

"Not a problem son. What's the matter?"

"Have you read the paper recently?" I whispered in the off chance that Bella might not be completely tuning Alice out. I couldn't risk her hearing our conversation.

"Oh. That." He paused before continuing in his mind.

_Don't worry about it. You should ask Alice to see how she reacts so you're prepared but she'll want to see it anyway. I know for a fact that she'll be upset if she found out that you were keeping something that big from her. _

I nodded in agreement. He was right. That was, of course, one of the reasons I had wanted to talk to him.

_And Edward? Do you think she'll mind if we… explored her powers more? It's very interesting that she seem to be able to turn into a human, even if it's only for a couple of hours, and be able to heal. Vampire and human. _

It had to be one of the few times I had seen Carlisle unsure and on edge. What did he think I'd do? Yell at him? I would never do that to my father.

"I'm sure Bella would really like the chance to further understand her powers, and your guidance would be greatly appreciated." I answered. I was pretty sure that Bella would want to explore her powers, but I wasn't positive.

My answer made Carlisle's face light up though. I enjoyed seeing my father happy. It was the least I could do, especially since I owed him so much.

-:-

We arrived in England at 4:30 AM when it was still dark. It normally was because it was England after all. Rainy and wet. Just like Forks.

We grabbed our luggage from baggage claim, even though there wasn't much. It was all being shipped and should arrive in two days time.

Bella started humming when we exited the airport. I looked over at her, curious. Why was she humming?

She smiled, as if she could hear my question. "It's nice to be somewhere else Edward. Forks just holds too many memories." Was her simple reply before she started humming again.

I realized how right she was. Her father was Forks. Her mom was in Forks. She 'died' in Forks. How had I not realized it before? I felt awful. I was such a bad boyfriend. I should have paid more attention. The guilt started to was beginning to consume me when Jasper sent a wave of calm toward me.

_What's wrong Edward? _

I shook my head from side to side, not answering his question. I didn't want Bella to hear; she'd yell at me for feeling guilty. And I deserved to feel guilty- how could I be so inconsiderate to her? I was a pathetic excuse for a boyfriend.

_Edward, whatever you're feeling guilty about, don't worry. You can ask Alice and I'm sure everything will be fine. _

Jasper 'said.' I just nodded. He didn't know what I felt. The stupidity. The guilt. The-

_Edward! Tone it down! Too damn many emotions!_

I sent an apologetic glance toward Jasper. I'd have to keep my emotions in check.

BPOV

The second I stepped into our new home, and after I had hugged Esme, my mom, I rejoiced. I was free. I was out of Forks.

Truth be told, I was kind of suffocating there. Suffocating under the guilt for my mom, the nostalgia for my dad, and the fact that I was in the same location as my tombstone and grave.

It was just so… odd seeing your name engraved in a shiny piece of rock, the words _Date of Death_ clearly written on it when the person viewing it was still alive. In a sense.

I hummed to myself as I explored my new room. The window was open, overlooking a large front yard and part of the backyard, which was a secluded forest.

Next to it was a bookshelf full of my favorite books. I used to spend hours reading, curled up in a comfy chair, sipping hot chocolate with a blanket covering me. I would always turn the AC on really low (or is it high?) so it was freezing in the house. I loved the cold, then the feeling of warmth that you'd get being curled up in a blanket or something.

The laptop with the Facebook homepage up. Why was that up? I remembered when I was human I would spend hours on that silly website too, updating my status, talking to friends, partaking in those silly competitions like 'Who's the nicest person?'.

Those were good times. When I didn't have to worry about silly things like becoming a vampire, dying, and leaving your mom behind. I was naïve then. I was so naïve as a human period.

I never really thought I'd miss being human, but I guess I kind of did.

Suddenly I felt the rush of warmth flood through my body.

The cool breeze blowing through the open window made me shiver; my stomach ached from hunger. I was tired. My feet hurt. And I had to actually breathe.

What was it I missed about this again?

APOV

After giving Esme her hug for our 'welcome back' party, I rushed upstairs and started up Bella's new laptop.

I clicked on the Safari icon, which opened to the apple home page. My fingers clacked against the keys, the words appearing in the search bar. Tapping enter with my pinky, the blue bar started to fill.

Come on you slow slow computer! One second later….

Finally! We really needed to invest in faster computers…

I typed in Bella's username and password, checked the 'remember me' box, then clicked 'log in.' Going to the 'profile' page,' a picture of human Bella, glowing, filled the left corner of the screen. That was going to bring up some memories.

I rushed out of the room- after opening the window- to meet Jazzy. He _had _promised me a surprise on the plane, and I was all too eager to accept it.

CPOV

When I heard the heartbeat upstairs, I immediately ran to Bella's room, stopping to grab an apple from the fridge (we had to keep up appearances) because Alice yelled at me to do so. But that was quickly followed by a "Oh Jasper!", so I didn't even bother thanking her. She probably wouldn't hear it anyway, being… occupied as she was.

"Bella!" I yelled once I had burst through the door.

"Carlisle!" she yelled with mock enthusiasm. She was sulking on her bed (for appearances, once again), her arms crossed against her chest.

I frowned at her. "Bella, you shouldn't be upset. You must have been thinking about wanting to be human for some reason, and now you are. And, I find it all very interesting. This must be the first time a vampire has ever been able to change into a human form. From last time, it only lasted an hour… Your facial structure has changed a little from when you were human last, and you are a shade paler than before. It seems that you've retained some vampire characteristics. Do you feel that you can see or hear better than when you were last human? How about your move—"

A soft snore came from the bed while Edward-who must have slipped into the room when I was talking- snickered.

"She was tired Carlisle. You're speech just helped her fall asleep. And what can I say? She's only human." And he had the nerve to snicker again. I glared while I rushed off to my office to take notes on what had just happened.

EPOV

To tell or not to tell, that is the question. Again. I remembered asking myself the same question earlier, about whether or not I should tell Bella what we were.

And now I debated with myself whether or not I should tell her what she was. Well, when I should tell her.

_Edward, I don't see why you're so worried about telling her. _Alice chimed in from below. But she wouldn't show me a vision about the reaction when I asked her. Obviously something was up.

I looked at the clock. She had 15 more minutes left of being human. I decided to let her sleep.

"I love you Edward." She moaned in her sleep while I chuckled a little to myself. I had almost forgotten about her sleep-talking.

I gathered her up in my arms, careful not to wake her. It felt so good to have Bella, _human_ Bella sleeping in my arms again.

When she 'woke' up as a vampire, she was pretty upset.

BPOV

"I can't believe I fell asleep! You should have woken me up!" I whined. I didn't like being human. I liked being a vampire truthfully. "Well, I'm going to go hunting. You want to come with me?"

I knew he would but I asked anyway. He nodded- like I knew he would.

We jumped out the window because it was one of my favorite ways to exit the house. I loved utilizing every perk of being a vampire.

Edward muttered 'newborn' under his breath every time we did, but today he didn't. Something was up. And I was going to find out.

**So next chapter's the last chapter :(**

**Preview:**

_"What did it say?" she asked. _

_"What?" _

_"The text." _

_"What text?" _

_"The text you just got on your phone because if someone called you, you would have lifted it to your ear instead of looking down at it. Unless technology has changed in the last 20 minutes."_

**Please review!**


	58. I Love You

**Thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed, everyone who has read my story to the end, to everyone who has supported me the whole time! **

**-:-ExB-:- means a flashback!**

_Edward usually muttered 'newborn' under his breath every time we did, but today he didn't. Something was up. And I was going to find out. _

Chapter 58: I Love You

BPOV

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked while we were on our way back to the house.

He slowed and so did I. He seemed to be debating with himself. I waited.

"Bella, I talked to Carlisle earlier today. He was wondering if it'd be okay if he studied you because of your unique ability. I think it would be interesting, especially to see whether or not you can control it." he said, still uneasy. He was playing with the hem of his shirt though. He wasn't telling me everything.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll cooperate. Now tell me what's really on your mind. Something like that wouldn't make you so uncomfortable, or make you fidget like that. Spill it Cullen."

He chuckled a little but his eyes still retained their tightness. He ran a hand through his hair.

"You're good Bella." He mumbled.

I waited again for what seemed like an eternity to get him to talk. We were strolling hand in hand towards the house, and he slowed our pace once again.

"Bella, you have two… gifts. Or something like that. Remember what you did with Jasper? That's another thing Carlisle wants to… observe. We never really brought it up again because you'd always get… on edge." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Remember the trip to the hospital before we left? And that girl, Grace? And she had retinoblastoma. And you ran your fingers across her forehead."

I nodded. I remembered.

"And then the next day… it was gone. Her eye was back to normal and when the doctor ran tests… the tumor was completely gone. The cancer was gone."

I was shocked. I had saved that girl's life. I had gotten rid of a tumor. Of a cancerous tumor.

"She remembers you Bella. She remembers your name." and he took a cutout from the paper and gave it to me.

It was titled _MY GUARDIAN GHOST_, because that was what Kelly thought I was. I breathed in an unneeded breath. I saved her life.

"Edward, why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I whispered softly.

"I didn't know how'd you react. I didn't help that Alice was blocking me."

I nodded, keeping my eyes locked on the words of the article, reading it again and again.

EPOV

She took it very well. I didn't see why I was so worried. Alice probably only blocked me just to make me more worried. I'd get back at her later.

"We should go back. We should go to every hospital Edward. I can save these people. I can save them."

Not good. "Bella, love. No, you can't."

If she did, then that would alert the humans to supernatural forces and they'd be on the lookout for them.

"Why not Edward? I want to save these people. I need to save them!" Bella exclaimed, nearly hysterical.

Ahh, so this was why Alice blocked her mind. If I had known that Bella was going to react this, I wouldn't have showed her the article. Which would probably have been bad in the long run. But I needed to protect her.

"Bella, if you were a human and you noticed that everyone with cancer was suddenly being healed, what would you think?"

"I'd think that the doctors were finally doing something right."

"No, you'd think that there was some supernatural force out there. If you were to save cancer ward after cancer ward, people would start looking for you. And people would stop believing in doctors, they would start waiting for you. And you can't save everyone."

I could see my logic starting to work on her.

"Edward, you may be right. But it can't just let these people, these kids die! If I know I can save them, then I should!"

"Bella, no. You might save one or two, but don't make it nationwide. A few now and then, but that's my limit."

I looked her in the eye, testing her resistance. Eventually she looked down.

"Fine." She muttered in defeat.

I exhaled and smiled. "I know you want to do what's right Bella, but you can't always."

"Yeah, I know." And then she smirked. "You were worried that I was going to attack all those kids in the hospital ward and kill them. But I ended up saving one. Ha!"

-:-

I ran my hands through my hair again. I was nervous. Very nervous. I was going to ask Bella to marry me tonight.

I requested that she change into a human; I wanted it to be real. For her to be human when I asked her. Like it should be. We should all be human. But one person would have to do.

I played with the box in my pocket, wondering if she'd accept my marriage proposal. Alice said she would refuse a couple of times before she accepted. She still had yet to tell me why.

But the last week here in England had been… magical.

-:-ExB-:- _(__**-:-ExB-:- means a flashback!**__)_

It had all started with Emmett proclaiming that he was bored. And a bored Emmett was never a good thing.

"What do you want to do?" Bella asked, flipping casually through a magazine.

"I don't know. I'm bored. Oh! We can go… snowboarding again!" he shouted, looking as if he had just won the lottery. Not that he needed to in the first place.

"Oh, cause we all know that last time we did it ended oh so very well." Bella said bitterly.

"Oh Bella, don't be such as spoil sport!" Emmett whined. "You're a freaking vampire now! Super girl!" and then he flexed his muscles.

Bella just rolled her eyes.

"Bella, love, as much as I agree that you had a bad experience last time… I think we should. A bored Emmett never ends well." I said quickly. If we didn't go snowboarding, then Emmett would whine and complain non-stop for the next week. And then he'd find something else to do. And I didn't want to live with that.

I looked into her almost topaz eyes, pleading with her silently. _Please?_

She shook her head. I tried again, conveying the word again. _Please?!_

A more fervent shaking…

_Pretty pretty please with an Edward on top? _Never had I wished that I could read her mind more than know. Well, I probably had but… I wanted to know what she wanted so she could concur. A bored Emmett equals a big disaster.

A sigh. An eye roll. A huff.

"Fine."

I smiled. I loved Bella.

We took a plane to Colorado and headed off towards the slopes, buying all the equipment we would need. The sales guy seemed a little overly helpful to all of the women. I glared while Emmett growled. Carlisle seemed amused. And Jasper… he did nothing to help the situation.

And worse yet, the girls flirted with him just to pop our buttons. When Bella sidled up to me before we went onto the slopes, she smirked, purring into my ear, "You're so sexy when you're jealous." Before walking out first with the girls.

A shiver ran down my spine; it wasn't from the cold.

Bella managed to glide down the slopes effortlessly, except for one incident. It was really my fault. She just looked so… elegant and the epitome of beautiful riding down those slopes, the droplets of water glittering under the heatless sun.

So I let my primal urge take over and leaped, crashing into her. I had to kiss her. I needed her.

I pressed my lips to hers, surprising her. But she quickly responded, running her tongue across my bottom lip. But then she pulled away. I pouted. And then was met with a handful of snow.

She jumped up-after unbuckling her feet from the snowboard at vampire speed-and started to run away, shouting "I love you Edward!" as she ran.

I narrowed my eyes, unbuckling my feet from my snowboard, and once again tackled her to the ground.

"You can't run away from me Bella. I love you too much to let you go." I whispered in her ear. Now it was her turn to shiver. I smirked before pressing my lips to hers again. I knew I would never get tired of Bella.

-:-ExB-:-

If that snowboarding trip didn't convince her to marry me, maybe her shopping escapade would…

-:-ExB-:-

"Dammit Alice! You _had_ to pick today to go shopping? I'm not even… special today!" Bella complained while she dragged her feet along the ground in her 4 inch heels. She was human today, which I could easily tell by her pounding heart and delicious smell from the 10 feet away I was.

"What are you talking about Bella? You're always special." I commented, smirking. She didn't know I was here today. I was 'hunting.'

She gasped and turned around. And then she dropped her bags and ran towards me.

"Edward! I missed you! I love you! Your sister's crazy! She made me think about being human by looking at those chocolate displays! I thought you were going hunting! How long have you been here?" she spilled out in a rush.

I chuckled, stroking her face. "I was hunting. I was hunting out a little cheating sister of mine." And I pulled my gaze up to glare at my sister.

"What? She needed to go shopping! And it always looks better when she's… less pale." She huffed.

I had told Alice that Bella needed to be human when I proposed to her. I didn't mean for her to make Bella think 'human' thoughts and then drag her around the mall. I guess knowing Alice…

_Edward, you asked for her to be human when you proposed and how can I pick out the perfect dress for her if she's a vampire when she's trying it on?_

I glared at her again. I spoke so quickly that Bella wouldn't be able to understand or hear.

"You can see the future. Use your brain instead of your credit card Alice! She's exhausted!" I snapped.

_The hour's nearly up brother dear. Five minutes left. _And then she had the nerve to roll her eyes.

I rolled mine in return, glaring again.

"Come on Bella, up you go." I said.

She raised her eyebrows.

"What, can't I give my exhausted girlfriend a piggyback ride around and _out_ of the mall?" I asked.

She smiled, sighing in relief. "Thank you Edward! My feet hurt so bad!" and I lifted her up onto my back. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my chest. She tightened her grip when I started moving.

"Ah! A little warning might be nice Edward!" she mock-scolding, laughing the whole time.

"Sorry love, I'm just so anxious to get out of here."

A sigh again. "Me too."

"Good. Then we're in agreement." And I started running- at human pace of course- causing Bella to squeal in delight.

"Edward!" she laughed.

"Bella!"

I took her arm and swung her down, pushing her gently against the wall.

I leaned over her, breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush. **("It was an adrenaline rush; you can Google it."- Edward Cullen, Twilight movie.)**

"Bella." I said softy. She looked up at me from underneath her eyelashes.

"Edward." She gasped out, breathing heavily.

"I love you. Never forget that." I whispered out; talking normally would just ruin the atmosphere.

"I won't." she said before wrapping her arms around my neck again and pressing her forehead against mine.

-:-ExB-:-

_She's ready Edward_. Alice's 'voice' rang through my mind. I looked up from my hands.

"Thanks Alice." I whispered but I knew she could hear me.

And then I saw Bella. She was gorgeous. Her hair was slightly waved with a sparkling clip on the right side. Her makeup was subtle and alluring. The dress she wore was perfection. But anything Bella wore was. The deep blue that contrasted with her milky, smooth skin.

"You're beautiful." I breathed out.

She blushed- that beautiful pink blush that rarely appeared- and I could tell that she was nervous. I took her hand and led her outside toward the Volvo, opening her door for her.

"Thanks." She squeaked out, still nervous. She wasn't the only one. I just hoped that this went as planned and she accepted my proposal. I knew one thing though- I wouldn't stop trying to get my ring on her finger until she pushed me away and told me she didn't want me anymore.

-:-

We arrived at the restaurant and I gave my name since we already have reservations. _Cullen._ The name that I hoped that Bella would add to hers after tonight. _Bella Cullen._ I liked it already.

We were led to a small, private table with a single candle flickering in its candle holder, the wax slowly dripping off of it. Bella took a hesitant seat, biting her lip. I reached for her hand across the small table, taking it in my. I looked into her deep, rich eyes, trying to convey how much I loved her. There were no words to describe it.

The waitress cleared her throat, waiting for our order.

"I'll have a coke?" Bella's voice came out as a question.

"Two cokes." I said. A single nod from the waitress and she was off, but I heard what she was thinking first.

_Such a sweet couple. I remember when my Henry and I were young and so in love… I should give them some privacy… wouldn't want to seem like an eavesdropping waitress!_

She was such a sweet lady. In her mid-50s and happily married.

There was a fairly comfortable silence following that; it would have perfectly comfortable if we weren't both so nervous. So we just sat there, hands clasped, looking into each other's eyes.

A throat being cleared. I looked up, slightly irritated. My time gazing at my girlfriend's- soon to be fiancé, hopefully- eye's was interrupted by something so frivolous as giving us menus. I didn't even eat human food.

I looked at her nametag, which was embroidered into her uniform shirt, so I could give a name to her instead of referring to her as _the waitress. _Mary.

She handed us our menus and then scrambled, as if sensing my irritation. I didn't even bother looking at it.

"Edward! This place doesn't even show the prices! You know you don't have to take me anywhere expensive Edward." Bella started.

I sighed. "Bella, we have a joint bank account. Mi dinero es tu dinero. My money's your money."

She just huffed while I smirked; I knew I had won. We began talking about pointless things and I played with her third finger on her left hand. It held no ring. And I hoped to change that.

BPOV

Edward kept playing with my ring finger. The one on my left hand. Was that some type of hint? Was he going to propose? God I hoped he didn't. I was ready. I was 16! I couldn't. I was an out of control newborn vampire. He wouldn't want to marry me.

I probably wouldn't be able to keep my cool in this environment of a busy restaurant if I was a vampire right now.

But then again, I guess I really wanted to marry Edward. The last name of Cullen… _Bella Cullen._ I liked it already.

Mary came back, interrupting me from my thoughts to take our orders. I got the mushroom ravioli.

APOV

The visions kept flickering. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. YES! My little brother was growing up! Well, he was actually my big brother, but I saw him as my little brother.

And he was going to get married. I'd have to talk to Esme. Wedding plans!

Pink? No… Edward always liked blue on Bella. Should she be human or vampire? Of course she'd have a white dress though. And she could always be a vampire at her next wedding. A tiara? Or a veil? A long train? Sleeveless? Puffy skirt? Hair up or down?

The vision flickered again. No. Crap. Well I could always plan out her wedding until she did say yes. Yes. No. Yes.

My poor brother was going to go through hell tonight, wasn't he? Anticipation, nerves, hope, and then crushing disappointment.

Unless she did say yes…

BPOV (This is a little 'battle' between the two parts of her brain)

What was I thinking? I could never say yes. I was too young. 16. Only 16.

_But you love Edward. Do you want to be with anyone else? _

No.

_So just say yes. _

Huh. That sounds like a good idea. Just say yes.

_Mrs. Edward Cullen. _

Then again, since you don't want anyone else, what's the rush?

_Why bother waiting though? If it's going to happen anyway? _

But if it's going to happen anyway, then why let it happen so soon? Take things slow.

_But do you really want to take things slow? Don't you _want_ to be Mrs. Edward Cullen? Officially become part of the Cullen family?_

How much more official can it get? You live with them. You love them all. Mom, dad, brother, sister. Each and every Cullen member means something to you.

_How happy would they be when they found out that it'd be official? And official Cullen? _

How happy would _you_ be? Would you be happy?

Ecstatic. Jumping for joy. Never happier. Elated. Pure bliss. I would be in 7th heaven. No, past 7th heaven; I'd be in 8th heaven.

And I just answered my own question. Yes.

EPOV

Bella was quiet and seemed to be battling with herself. Did she know what I was going ask? Did Alice tell her? No, she wouldn't. Would she?

But why would Bella be battling with herself? Did she not want to marry e? Was she doubtful of the depth of my feelings? Hadn't I made it clear that I loved her? Did she not love me?

My phone vibrated and I glanced down.

_1 new text. _

_Edward-_

_Suck it up. She loves you. You love her. End of story. She'll yes. Now, go get her tiger!_

I smiled when I saw who it was from.

_-Rosalie. _

At least she approved. I was a little scared of what Rosalie's reaction would be, especially considering the fact that she still felt like Bella's mother.

When I had told the rest of my family that I was going to ask Bella to marry me, Rosalie had stomped off towards her room. Alice cheered. Esme and Carlisle beamed. Jasper smiled. And Emmett… he told me that I was finally going to 'get some.' Where he gets these things…

Of course Bella didn't miss my smile.

"What did it say?" she asked.

"What?"

"The text."

"What text?"

"The text you just got on your phone because if someone called you, you would have lifted it to your ear instead of looking down at it. Unless technology has changed in the last 20 minutes."

I chuckled. "No love, it hasn't. It was nothing."

She narrowed her eyes at me, unsure whether to believe me or not.

"Trust me."

"I do." She said, finally dropping it. It was kind of embarrassing that I was so insecure…

Mary came back to drop off the ravioli.

"Here you are! And do you lovebirds plan on ordering any desert?"

I looked at Bella, who had a slight flush across her cheeks.

"No thank you."

Mary nodded, leaving our check on the table, and left. I looked at Bella again, who had started on her meal. I wondered when I should ask her…

My phone buzzed again.

_1 new text message_

_Edward-_

_Ask her after the meal, at exactly 6:53 in the park._

_-Alice_

I smiled again. My family was very… involved in my personal life tonight.

-:-

We, as in Bella, had just finished and were walking hand in hand towards the Volvo.

"You know Edward, I think one think of being human that I missed would definitely be human food."

"Really? So you actually something about being human? Wow. Can I get that down in writing?"

She scowled. I laughed.

Then I looked at the clock. 6:47. I had been checking the clock every few minutes.

I ran my hand through my hair, fingering the box in my pocket. Again. The last time I had ever been this nervous was… probably when I was picking up Bella in France. The emotions she made me feel…

I opened the door for her and she stepped into the car. I got into the driver's seat and began driving.

"Edward? Home's _that_ way." She said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Who said we were going home?"

She pressed her lips together, obviously trying to keep her curiosity in check.

"Don't worry Bella, we'll get there soon." I reassured her.

She was probably calculating what was close to the restaurant.

And then I stopped. Few cars were in the parking lot, which I expected. Only in New York would people be at the park at 6:50 PM. And we were in England.

I sighed. I'd have to do it anyway, even though I didn't want an audience if Bella rejected me. I dearly hoped that she wouldn't.

I got out and walked over to the passenger's seat to open Bella's door for her. I took her hand in mine and led her to a swinging bench that hung from a branch of a large tree. It was like the one in _The Lion King_, strong and sturdy.

It overlooked a small pond, which was surrounded in lights that lit up the surface.

"It's beautiful Edward." She breathed out into the air. I could see her breath. I hoped she wouldn't get cold.

"You're beautiful Bella." I said and led her to the bench for her to take a seat. I quickly glanced at my phone. 6:53.

You can do this Edward.

I faced her and then knelt down on one knee, taking her hand again.

"Bella. Ever since that first day you came into Forks and I saw you at that furniture store and ended up buying your couch, I knew I that you were special. You were quirky, smart, humble, kind. It was like I could finally breathe after seeing you. And then when you left for that school in France, I was crushed. I knew I had lost the best thing that happened to me and I knew I couldn't just let you walk away. The first time you said 'I love you,' I felt like my heart had started beating again. It started beating for you." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the box, opening it. "I love you Isabella Marie Swan. And I will never stop loving you; I'll love you forever, every single day of forever. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Bella's eyes were glassy from my speech and her mouth was gaping open a little. Then her lips pulled into a smile.

"Why not?" she said, smirking.

I stood up and gathered her in my arms and she put her arms on my shoulders as I spun her around.

"I would love to become your wife."

"So is that a yes?" I knew it was. I just wanted to hear her say it.

"Yes." She said before leaning in for a kiss.

I put her down and then sat next to her, taking the ring out of the box and putting it on her ring finger.

She held her hand up, examining it.

"I love it Edward. I love the look of a ring on my finger."

"I love the look of my ring on your finger too Bella. Do you like the ring?"

"Yes Edward. I do. I love it. But not more than I love you."

I pulled her in for another kiss, ignoring the sound of applause in the background.

BPOV

The ring was gorgeous. A large, oval diamond that was surrounded by smaller diamonds on a gold band. Simple yet elegant. Gorgeous.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Now was the time to think about breathing. Deep breaths, in and out. Because today was my wedding day. The day I was going to marry the love of my life, the love of my existence.

I decided that allow blood to be flowing through my veins for my wedding; it would definitely make the cake eating ceremony a lot less uncomfortable.

That night when we had come back home…

_A screech. A really high pitched screech. A crash. A sigh. Cracking wood. And then a burst of energy flying right into my arms. If I my hour of being a human hadn't been up the I was sure that Alice would have torn my arms out of my sockets. _

"_Hello Alice. How are you tonight? Excited about something?" _

"_Show me! Show me the ring!" she took my left hand and then squealed. "It's beautiful Bella! You're going to be a married woman! Now we have to start talking dresses, shoes, wedding bands, colors, food, location, time, guests, service, honeymoon, bridesmaids, music—"_

"_Whoa Alice! Slow down! I just got engaged… 16 minutes ago. Deep breath." She sucked in a breath loudly. "Exhale slowly." She let it out in a huff. "Now again." _

"_Bella! We don't have time for this! I'm thinking you should get married in Fuji then go on a honeymoon to Australia! Or maybe Europe… but that's so cliché. Can I be your maid of honor? Yes? Yay! I love you Bella!" she took my arm and was starting to drag me back to the house, blabbering about something that I probably wouldn't care about. I wanted a small wedding. _

_Edward cleared his throat, stopping her. "Alice? Before you drag my fiancé somewhere, you should probably fix the door you ran through." _

_And then I actually looked at the house. And he was right. There was a very Alice shaped hole in the door with large splinters on the ground by it. And a very unhappy Carlisle looking at it. But when he caught my eye, he smiled, proud. _

"_The doorknob wouldn't turn fast enough!" she pouted before trudging back to the house to probably buy a new one. _

_I sighed, lacing my fingers through Edward's. These coming months up until my actual wedding were going to be very long. _

And they were. Somehow Alice made 4 months seem like 14. Dresses, color, cut, style, brand, design, embroidery, color of embroidery. And then she'd move on to shoes. And the veil. And the flowers. And the food. And the decorations. Location. Honeymoon.

The list never ended. And I didn't really plan on inviting anyone except the Cullens, so I didn't see why she was so insistent about the food. I'd be the only one eating it. And I'd only have an hour to do so.

The honeymoon was going to be on Isle Bella, the island that I had gotten from my mom when I was in the hospital with her. It was the perfect location. I did a little research to find that it was located in the Mediterranean on a remote island with a small cottage built on it.

We were going to get married here in England much to Alice's disappointment. You'd think she was the one getting married. I could really care less. I just wanted to become joined to Edward for the rest of my life, to really claim his as mine.

I took another deep breath and then took Carlisle's arm. I pushed through the temporary doors that Alice had ordered and began down the aisle. Which was really pointless. Edward and I were just going to get married by the priest- Jasper (it was either him or Emmett)- with the rest of the Cullens as our witnesses.

But that quickly fled my mind when I saw Edward. He took my breath away in his dark tux and sparkling topaz eyes.

When we finally arrived in front of the priest, Jasper began the usual priestly speech.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of…"

Blah blah blah. I only had eyes for Edward.

The reception finished relatively quickly- it only took 10 minutes- and Jasper finally said 'you can kiss the bride.' Finally.

I barely remembered saying 'I do.' But the second my lips made contact with Edward's, I knew it was a kiss to remember. It seemed to convey our life. Our happy, blissful life that we would lead. And I believed it. My life would always be better with Edward in it.

When we got to the cake ceremony, Edward swallowed his like a man, not even grimacing. It really did taste good though.

The maid of honor's and the best man's speech- which had me furiously blushing by the end- were completed just as the sun's rays peeked out from behind the sun and my hour was up.

We all sparkled as the rays hit our skin and Edward ran a finger down my face.

"You'll always be the beautiful gem that sparkles and lights up my life."

I placed my hand on his cheek. "I love you Edward."

"I love you Mrs. Cullen." He said before leaning down to kiss me. And I knew that our love was going to last forever. Whoever said that everything good must come to an end was obviously wrong.

**And now you've reached the end of my little story :(**

**I'm probably not going to do a sequel, sorry! And thanks again to everyone!**


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